Media Failures During Katrina

Never in my personal history, has media coverage been so way off-base as during the post-hurricane Katrina coverage. Sensationalism, emotionalism, racism, and just plain ignorance substituted for fact-based news.

Instapundit revisits this issue and links to RealClearPolitics.

It just seems crazy that the press can be so self-congratulatory when outright lies were presented as truth. The amazing thing: that the press reports didn't foment more unrest than it did. The press achieved their goal though: fomenting hatred towards Bush--the cause of all natural disasters.

By the way, almost three years ago now, Pensacola and the Florida Panhandle got hit with a hurricane. The destruction did not even remotely approach what New Orleans has experienced yet a 100% recovery is still not accomplished. It takes years to rebuild, if rebuilding is even undertaken. I was amazed driving south of Miami to the Keys seeing large, flat swaths that Hurricane Andrew cleared that have never been rebuilt. When Houston was flooded five years back, a neighborhood close to ours was under water. Some houses are still uninhabited and probably will never have people living there again.

The issue regarding New Orleans has been and will continue to be political and emotional. While everyone moans and groans about the money "thrown away" on the war, wishing instead that it was spent in New Orleans (no mention of Mississippi which got it even worse), money can only support clean-up, planning and rebuilding. This can be done half-assed and with New Orleans, I expect it will. But if a little extra time, thought, consideration and planning occurs, the city has a better chance of actually surviving. No matter what, the process is slow and arduous.

It will take years, if not decades, to rebuild after such a disaster. Remember, the new Hurricane Season starts June 1. I fully expect New Orleans to be rained on this summer. More mold. More rot. The process will take time. NO has already pissed away Billions in taxpayer dollars. Money won't magically rebuild New Orleans. Hard work and people will.