And Open Letter to Lurking Media Types - Round 2

[Stinky The Clown]

Hi Media Person,

Thanks for checking in yet again.

First, let me start by thanking you for doing one really great job covering the tragedy that is the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. You dropped the cliched 'waif-in-a-windstorm' coverage with some 90 lb cubette reporter in a slicker and a baseball cap trying to make her bones in favor of real, empathetic, sensitive, truthful news.

And you brought many of us to tears.

I also want to thank you for leaving your can of varnish behind, with your pancake makeup. You guys just plain rocked.

You also were very honest about the 'blame game' and did what you're supposed to do. You reported the facts. Sure enough, some of you editorialized. But they were heartfelt editorials. And given the circumstances, you can be forgiven for interjecting personal feelings into hard news. Some of you, who actually put down your cameras and rolled up your sleeves, even became the news .... purely for your humanity.

For all of that, I am grateful.

But this is a new week. The water is receding. The FEMA political appointee has been 'recalled'. We now have an admiral and a general on the ground. They seem very competent. America is breathing a bit easier. All America, that is, except for the hundreds of thousands (has it exceeded a million?) who are directly affected by the storm and displaced in its aftermath.

Please don't forget about them.

And, as we start this new week, it seems our President is out and about. We both know what will happen. No serious mistakes will be admitted. Just platitudinous admissions of 'things not going well at the start'.

As you hear this, remember what you saw last week. Keep those memories, those sounds, those smells, those visceral experiences close to you. In them lies the truth. Don't allow them to be spun. Tell us the truth as the story continues to do its own telling. We need to know the casualty counts. Spare us the gore and shocking pictures of bloated bodies (we all know they're there). Just let us know how many of our bothers and sisters died in this mess. And let us know what happened. What went right and what went wrong. The actual honest-to-God truth. What happened. Were the now famous 500 submerged busses relevant? Or a distraction. We REALLY want to know. Did Blanco call Bush? Or did Bush call Blanco? We REALLY want to know. A timeline type report might be helpful. Your colleagues over at NPR did one over the weekend. I heard it. It was good. Maybe you could call and see if you could use it. Or develop your own. The more eyes, the better, you know.

Also, as we start this new week, there's other news to cover. Have a look at Judge Roberts' background. Is there anything there we need to know? Did he, just as an example, have anything to do with the recount in Florida in 2000? We've heard rumors of this. Is there a story there? Is he an ideologue, as some have charged, or is he of 'great judicial temperament' as others aver? What about all those memos he's supposedly written? Anything there?

We need to know this stuff. We REALLY want to know. Not so much in a 'gothcha' way, but in a 'need to/truthfulness' kinda way.

Yanno?

Then there's this nutjob Islamic Terrorist Kinda Guy who's throwing threats at Los Angeles and Melbourne. Should we be worried or is it something less than it appears? I mean, if I need to worry, then I need to worry. But surely there's already enough to worry about. My worry plate's kinda full. So lemme know if this needs to find a place there.

Okay?

So, in all this, ya know what? You can help.

So please, Media person, keep up the good work.

We REALLY want to know. We REALLY need to know. It is our DUTY to know. It is your duty to help out with that.

You can do it. You proved it last week.

With gratitude and hope,

Yours in truth,

Stinky The Clown (H2S)

[babylonsister]

1. Might I add, after viewing "WMD: Weapons of Mass

Deception" last night on IFC, media, you OWE us the truth!

[blondeatlast]

2. One more thing, Mr./Ms. LMT aspiring to big P Presshood:

please block your e-mails from the Heritage Foundation immediately. You'll be better off for it, I swear, and it's the second step towards big P Presshood (the first of course is admitting you've become dependent).

It's foolish to deny that many of us are onto that tactic, and it won't be long before we start calling you out.

Many of you are off to very promising new starts; don't let that easy, breezy e-mail be your downfall. Resist the urge--you can do it if you really want that respectability.

Keep repeating: Helen Thomas, Walter Cronkite. Make it your mantra.

God bless you in the journey...

Edit: even spellcheck isn't perfect, and neither am I

[Stinky The Clown]

3. You may not be perfect, but your words to the media are perfect

Yeah, I hope they block e-mail from every advocacy group.

Just the facts.

Joe Friday would have been a better reporter than he was a cop.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. 'Katrina Politics' - NBC's Chip Reed to Brian Williams re: Roberts Hearing

Press Folks ...... ?

That's not a good sign.

This appointment and confirmation is FAR, FAR bigger. Yet Chip Reed thorws it out, Brian Williams asserts it back, and then they go to a Kelly O'Donnell 'at the White House' and talk about the hearings in just those terms.

Guys ... come on ..... that's scripted bullshit and has NO place in real news.

Keep your eye on the ball. I know it may be a bit mnore difficult with stories more esoteric than a hurricane, but geeeeez. This is what you're supposed to be professionals at.

[blondeatlast]

5. They really said that? You can't tell me they just thought of it.

Press or propagandists, which do you choose, Mr. and Ms. LMT?