Opinion: Al Roker fires back…
He’s not on cable news but Al Roker is the only one really responding to critics of hurricane coverage… (via FTVLive)
Stop whining. Just because your medium is irrelevant when it comes to a breaking story like a hurricane doesn’t mean you have to trash others who are out there covering it.
I am in no way comparing the two, but common sense would tell a person…don’t go to a war zone. There are bombs and people with guns and danger. Yet, we send good, brave journalists into harms way every day to cover a story.
I’m not a fan of these weather “stunts”. But at least Roker is a meteorologist. It’s his job. But at the same time comparing covering a hurricane by sticking yourself out in an environment like that isn’t nearly at all like covering a war.
First of all when you are covering a war (and Al whether you realize it or not, yes you are comparing the two otherwise you wouldn’t have mentioned it) you are out in the action reporting stories that can’t be reported any other way in a timely manner and with a level of detail that you won’t get if you sit back at HQ waiting for an official briefing. But covering a hurricane isn’t like that. What is really learned from a reporter sticking his neck out in a storm? That it’s windy and wet. Well…duh…we already knew that. You can’t go around and get damage assessments because it’s too dangerous to move (that’s why viewers always get damage assessments after the hurricane has passed). So all you get is some poor sob having to brave the elements to show people in parts of the country where the hurricane isn’t hitting (because the parts that it is hitting are now likely without power for those who decided not to seek shelter or evacuate) what it’s like. But they already know what it’s like because they’ve seen this all before. What did we learn watching Cooper, Roker, Harrigan, and the rest in this hurricane that we didn’t learn from Dennis, Katrina, or Rita? Nothing really.
So while Roker, being a weather guy, at least has an excuse for being out in the elements, it doesn’t excuse the armchair weather people who are out there looking silly when they should be inside. Even Roker admits that he probably wouldn’t do it again. That alone says something.
Of course it will happen again. If not Roker, than someone else. And why? Because we poor saps can’t get enough of watching people put themselves in harm’s way while we sit in the comfort of our living rooms. We’re the reason they’re out there. If hurricanses could only be covered by radio, would we have so many people out there in the storm? Of course not.
Speaking of Roker….. Here’s an interesting thought from my local blog. www.rogersimmons.com/tv
Has NBC’s Today jumped the shark? Thursday morning, Matt and Al were yuking it up at the antics of the star of a one-man Star Wars play, when WESH dumped out of Today for breaking news. Harriet Miers was withdrawing her name from consideration for her Supreme Court nomination. Pretty big story. So, why did a local station have to break into a network “news” show to give us the news? Interesting, huh?
Comment by Terance — October 29, 2005 @ 9:09 am
For the most part, I think they act like idiots. How many times do you need to see a fool stand out in a hurricane to realize how powerful it is? What they really should be reporting on are the after effects of these storms and how these people get screwed over by insurance companies and others. That is what they really need to report on and not give us endless hours of pointless crap that yields no substantive information.
Comment by bravesfan — October 29, 2005 @ 5:13 pm
FOX News Watch just did a segment on it, and shockingly, they made fun of Al Roker and didn’t mention Steve Harrigan once. He’s been the subject of many posts on TVNewser and this Blog… it’s pretty clear that Harrigan is the worst of all the reporters who does it.. yet FOX News Watch didn’t even mention it at all… instead, they attack Al Roker. DOUBLE STANDARD.
Comment by Nobody — October 29, 2005 @ 6:58 pm
I hate that Al is being attacked becasue many more people have acted worse than he did. What about the time that Shep Smith fell down? There are only making fun of Al because he is more well known then any of these other clowns.
Comment by bravesfan — October 29, 2005 @ 7:53 pm
Just because somebody sat in a school for two years in Mississippi learning about wind, that doesn’t qualify them to report outside during a hurricane. Roker is not physically fit, understatement, and I was shocked he’d even attempt it.
Comment by Roxxy — October 31, 2005 @ 12:50 pm