Why is every news channel covering nothing but the storm?

[manic expression]

Isn't there a little something called the Weather Channel?

[NMDemDist2]

1. better Frances than W's "bounce"

i hope all are safe in Florida but at least this is real news not talking head BS

[manic expression]

7. Real news...

would be the Israeli spy scandal...or the other stories that have been out. Why can't just one channel cover the storm...seeing a guy standing in a big storm on every major channel isn't exactly revolutionary journalism.
By the way...I also hope for everyone's safety and comfort in this situation.
As an afterthought: They barely covered the floods in Bangladesh or Haiti that were much more dire.

[question everything]

22. Agree. While the Republicans lucked out to finish their convention

before the news about the hurricane, and the Russian hostages and even Clinton's health broke, any "bounce" that Bush has is not covered.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. It is keeping * out of the spotlight.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. It's fine with me.

As long as Faux and CNN and MSNBC are talking about the hurricane, they're not fellating Bush*.

[Doosh]

4. this actually helps us

because it takes some wind out of the "bush bump" sails. I think his bump has probably eroded a good 2-3 points already because of the storm. People have forgotten about the convention and have been focusing on the big hurricane.

[alcuno]

5. Would you rather have CNN rebroadcast "The Mission of George W. Bush?"

That's your alternative. A lot of people have family in Florida.

[Ducks In A Row]

6. be thankful

it could be fill of bush*'s face

[GiovanniC]

8. I Love All The Huge Media Names Standing Out In The Fuckin' Hurricane

Their mothers obviously didn't teach them the common sense to come in out of the damn rain.

I've always thought that the media would never get fixed without some HUGE catalyst... maybe Francis is that catalyst. I don't think I'd feel too bad if every single one of these so-called journalists got swept out to sea and we could just start anew.

[Sugarbleus]

9. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh I was hoping someone would bring that up!!

I've been saying that to my family all day!! My g.son was on computer, elsewise I would have shot off some heated emails to media sooner to complain.

I appreciate the plight of floridians. It's unfortunate that they are being hit by another hurricane right after Charley. I hope and pray that this storm does less damage than the previous one and no one is hurt.....BUT, ALL DAY COVERAGE??? We have a VERY HEATED ELECTION going on and I'd like to see some of that too!!

I think this is a planned blackout of campaign news coverage. ANYTHING to keep campaign events off the air waves. I'm a bit angry.

[madrchsod]

10. because bush already

won the election so there is nothing else to report

[SW FL Dem]

11. Why did my local station show Survivor

when the storm is headed my way? I am extremely grateful that CNN is offering coverage, NBC is showing SNL. CBS is showing Living Large, ABC is showing Providence. I assume all are repeats. Obviously, the media is screwed up, those of us in harm's way should get 24/7 coverage and the rest of the nation needs only periodic updates.

[kiahzero]

12. Because it makes good ratings

Just like why they cover anything else.

[medeak]

13. I'm grateful....speak for yourself.

Have friend in West Palm Beach who lost power at 9am. Her daughter contacted me as talking to her on cell phone (that won't last long without being recharged) and she related roofs are gone on neighbors house on each side and they were getting pounded....this was early today.

Expecting no power for 5 days. This is lady who has been volunteering at nursing home as 42 patients were transferred from Punta Gorda from Hurricane Charley and no staff to care for them.

There is more going on than just politics..and a lot of humanitarian stories.

It seems to me that I recollect two weeks ago people were complaining there wasn't enough coverage of last hurricane?

[manic expression]

14. Humanitarian stories?

What about the people in Bangladesh that are literally living on their rooftops due to long periods of flooding? How about how Haiti was ravaged by flash-floods? Are those not such stories? Why didn't the American people (or the media) blink an eye or even care?
Why is it that every channel must carry out pure sensationalist coverage for ratings? Geraldo and Anderson Cooper do not strike me as "humanitarian stories".
"It seems to me that I recollect two weeks ago people were complaining there wasn't enough coverage of last hurricane?"
I was certainly not one of those people.
Edit: I hope everyone in Florida is safe.

[medeak]

19. Indeed...

there is never enough coverage of 3rd world catastrophes..but some of us have friends and family in Florida who are suffering.

It's an elderly population base who don't have the coping mechanisms most of us do. Just for example...how many patients are on oxygen concentrators and have no power to run them as million plus have no power and am told by friend in Palm Beach it will be at minimum of 5 days with no power.

Lots of humanitarian stories not being covered by the Anderson Cooper's of the world standing in the wind and rain IMO.

Let's put politics aside at a time like this and think good thoughts for the old and disenfranchised going through a difficult time.

[NMDemDist2]

26. i hope your friend is ok-- it's a nasty time for Florida n/t

[randr]

15. Post convention metamophic blues.

Even the sky is crying.

[otohara]

16. Fine With Me - All Day Yesterday It Was The CNN Poll

I don't recall the whores going bonkers when Kerry got his 10 point newsweek bounce - no,no,no - Bush gets a bounce and stop the presses.... Let the whoring begin

[MikeG]

17. How about covering the economic issues in the campaign?

Oh wait. I forgot. Most people are fucking retards.

Might as well stare out at the coean.

[Jim Sagle]

18. Because that's a convenient way not to cover Kerry now that he's

fighting back.

[Eloriel]

20. well, what a bunch of curmudgeons

LOL.

I'm rather enjoying it. I would MUCH rather learn about this storm and watch it than hear all about Bush and the Convention and all that crap. Maybe I'm just in one of my temporary "overload" periods where I tend to try to find movies or something to watch. For now, this is the best movie going.

And it's also quite sobering, as I said on another thread. I think many of us were quite blase about this "Category 2 Hurricane." The thing is, this is no typical Cat 2 hurricane -- this one's a realllll baddie. It would have been easy to miss that were I not actually watching reports of the devastation and other coverage of this remarkable and incredibly devastating "Cat 2 hurricane."

Plus, it's headed my way. :-( And I'm glad to be getting periodically updated info on that other than from just the 5:00 local news.

[aaronbees]

21. The hurricane's depth and breadth

Perhaps the wall-to-wall coverage is a touch excessive, but there's something to be said for the vast millions of people who are affected in a very direct, immediate, and dangerous way from Frances. Not to mention those who know folks in the Sunshine State. Though a Cat. 2, it's looking like that is deceptive: its slothful approach and huge grasp across pretty much the whole state guarantee large-scale destruction. The coverage seems, by and large, worthy to me.

[sampsonblk]

23. Because they are pathetic

duh

[diamond14]

24. mostly because bush*'s nazi-con circus of hate was too stunning for

for anyone to think of anything decent to say about it....

the open display of GOP hate, nazi tactics, religious insanity and brave protestors at ground zero, has been determined to be unfavorable to bush*....

it's a BIG FLOP, like most projects that bush* tries to do....so, instead of a steady flow of post-hatefest praise for the pResident....we have a steady flow of the weather channel on all stations...

after the embarrassing bush* twins, fire and brimstone zell, creepy mortician SNEER, and smirk bush* empty vacant speech, loaded with FAITH and Christian symbolism and booming WAR WAR WAR rhetoric...the BIG BUSH CHANNELS decided that this whole bush* debacle would be best just let go...and left off any further discussion....the bush BIG channels could not salvage anything...

[Fla Dem]

25. I'm thankful for the complete news coverage of Frances

I guess you have to live in the area to appreciate how much this storm has disrupted the lives of millions of people. Being in the path of the storm and right now experiencing major winds and rain I am constantly checking each news channel as well as the weather channel for information. This has been and will continue to be a harrowing event for the citizens of Florida, and eventually other states. This is significant news.....much more so than Kobe Bryant, Stacey Peterson (all tabloid level news)what * or Kerry said on the campaign trail. This is life and death, homes and communities devastated.

I am a political junkie, and enjoy the political new reports, speculations and analysis as much as anyone. That's why I'm on DU this morning even though the is wind howling outside. But that all seems so unimportant when you're not sure if your home and community will be standing in the next 24 hours. All you care about is your family's safety.

I know you need your political fix, but bear with us for a few days as we get through this disaster.

:scared:

[YoQuieroLiberty]

27. if it WASN'T on...

...someone would claim conspiracy, lack of compassion, coverup, etc.
And yeah, there is the Weather Channel. Would that mean that someone had to afford cable to gain access to important news?

Face it, this is a huge story. People's lives are affected. Entire cities just picked up and left town - something like 3 million folks. That's 1 in 100 Americans! Don't they have a right to know what's going on? Be grateful.