California Fires, Okay, what am I missing here?

[amicus]

I have two daughters in San Diego and I have been concerned about them since the wildfires began.

I have been follow the news stories for over twenty four hours and as the day and night began, I found it difficult to find current news about what was going on.

All through the long night I have checked, back and forth to the four network channels and the four cable channels that carry breaking news: nothing but brief repetitive headlines.

I expected, I guess, coverage equal to the 9/11 terrorist attack and the Katrina hurricane disaster, wall to wall from every aspect.

There was nothing all night long, nothing. So my expectations waited until first morning news, as advertised by both network and cable news stations.

Nothing. Very little, nothing current or live and on the scene as it was in the other major events I mentioned.

Why? What don't I understand? What am I missing as hundreds of homes are being burned and hundreds of thousands of people are displaced and under threat?

It is now 6:30 am in the east and all the so called news channels have nothing but filler fluff and regurgitated garbage.

What am I not understanding?

Truly a question. I am baffled.

Amicus....

 

[keeblercrumb]

I
What am I not understanding?

Truly a question. I am baffled.

Amicus....

Because I appreciate the thread is driven by your concern is for your daughters, I will resist the oh so tempting set up you have posited....

As for the coverage.... well CNN.com, my primary source for English language news here on the other side of the planet is certainly treating the fires as it's lead story. "Flames 'Looked like the end of the world'" as it's banner headline. It is certainly comparable to the treatment provided Katrina..... I suspect the coverage will grow exponentially as the scope of the disaster becomes known.....

The international press has recognized the growing story there, but seems to be leading with the impending Turkish invasion of Iraq.

My best wishes to your and everyone else's family in harm's way on this day.

-KC

 

[amicus]

Well, thank you cookie crumbs, for your sensitivity, but I have been a professional news person for forty years and my concern is more than personal.

It will perhaps take a few days before my assertions become an item in the news, but the paucity of live coverage of this event will be noticed and commented upon by many others, I assure you.

I remain curious as to what I am missing as I know and have done the job of news director and producer and the number of people involved, now up to 500,000 displaced evacuees, more than a thousand structures burned to the ground; this is a news story of gravity and it has thus far been ignored.

There are tens of thousands such as I with a personal interest in the area and to ignore the event for such a period of time is simply beyond my understanding.

Again...what am I missing here?

Amicus...

 

[cloudy]

Was just watching live coverage on several channels, ami. I'm not sure why you're not seeing any.

Can't get in touch with my sister - she's in Aqua Dulce in the canyons not far from where its burning. Just put out a general family alert: the first to hear from her let's the rest of us know.

 

[amicus]

Was just watching live coverage on several channels, ami. I'm not sure why you're not seeing any.

Can't get in touch with my sister - she's in Aqua Dulce in the canyons not far from where its burning. Just put out a general family alert: the first to hear from her let's the rest of us know.

~~~

Cloudy...not to question your word but I have been back and forth from eight different network and cable news channels and the news, at best, is spotty, not even close to the 'balls to the wall', total 24/7 coverage of Katrina or other major events, it just ain't happening...and I still do not understand why...

Amicus...

 

[Pure]

CNN has had hours of coverage.. Every time i put it on.

It you want to know why little 'commerical' coverage, it's probably because oceans of flame don't sell SUVs or Pampers. In short, the market has spoken, stop complaining about it.

Whatever you're seeing, ami, re-runs, sit coms, is there because that's the most profitable thing to broadcast.

Surely you don't expect a profit driven entity, for no gain, to do public service programming for families of possible victims.

 

[impressive]

This blog appears to be updated more frequently than any other site I've seen:

http://sosdfireblog.blogspot.com/

 

[amicus]

This blog appears to be updated more frequently than any other site I've seen:

http://sosdfireblog.blogspot.com/

~~~

Thank you so much, impressive, that is exactly the kind of reporting I had hoped to find from at least one of the eight news channels I continuously monitor in search of information.

If you browsed those blogs, power is out in many areas, cell phone relays are down and communications are difficult. I am still awaiting news and it ain't a lot of fun although I am optimistic.

Thanks again...


amicus...

 

[impressive]

~~~

Thank you so much, impressive, that is exactly the kind of reporting I had hoped to find from at least one of the eight news channels I continuously monitor in search of information.

If you browsed those blogs, power is out in many areas, cell phone relays are down and communications are difficult. I am still awaiting news and it ain't a lot of fun although I am optimistic.

Thanks again...


amicus...

If I'm not mistaken, it's auto-refreshing too. Interesting. Didn't know Blogger could DO that.

 

[amicus]

If I'm not mistaken, it's auto-refreshing too. Interesting. Didn't know Blogger could DO that.

~~~

Yes! It 'refreshed' as I was reading it, but then I am virtually clueless about the blogosphere, so it is all new to me.

Thanks yet again...


Ami...

 

[manstoked]

There are so many other venues for news that TV has let go of reporting and focused on revenue generating fluff. But others are picking up real news. Radio for one.

In any case if you want to find the latest developments I would recommend trying

http://www.kfi640.com.

KFI is the local talk radio station covering most of southern California. They have been covering the fire 24/7 on the radio so you might be able to stream the news real time. You might even be able to call in. Don't know if they will preempt Rush Limbaugh but they have pre-empted most other programs. The morning guys are probably like most other morning guys on the radio; so they do joke around.

You might find other LA radio or San Diego radio to stream but that is the only one I am familiar with. You might even be able to stream local news.

 

[impressive]

There are so many other venues for news that TV has let go of reporting and focused on revenue generating fluff. But others are picking up real news. Radio for one.

In any case if you want to find the latest developments I would recommend trying

http://www.kfi640.com.

KFI is the local talk radio station covering most of southern California. They have been covering the fire 24/7 on the radio so you might be able to stream the news real time. You might even be able to call in. Don't know if they will preempt Rush Limbaugh but they have pre-empted most other programs. The morning guys are probably like most other morning guys on the radio; so they do joke around.

You might find other LA radio or San Diego radio to stream but that is the only one I am familiar with. You might even be able to stream local news.

There's an interactive Google map here:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...43,-116.924744&spn=1.029693,1.867676&z=9&om=1

And an FM radio stream here:

http://www.kpbs.org/kpbs64k.asx

 

[R. Richard]

Amicus:
I used to live in San Diego. Check out Channel 10. Live video and all.

San Diego Channel 10 News

 

[amicus]

Wow...you folks are amazing!

I am in awe and wish only to be able, in some way, to return the empathy offered.

And I learn as it goes...

Thank you!

Amicus...

 

[xssve]

This mornings headline: "Quarter of a Million Homeless".

 

[xssve]

Fox probobly isn't carrying it amicus because it might seem to lend credibility to global warming theories.

 

[amicus]

Fox probobly isn't carrying it amicus because it might seem to lend credibility to global warming theories.

~~~

You insufferable twat, try to make something political out of a human tragedy, you left wing liberal fuckers are all the same....


amicus...

 

[xssve]

So it is Fox's top news story?

 

[cloudy]

~~~

You insufferable twat, try to make something political out of a human tragedy, you left wing liberal fuckers are all the same....


amicus...

don't blame it on the left, ami. He's just a complete asshole.

I have family there, too.

 

[sr71plt]

~~~

You insufferable twat, try to make something political out of a human tragedy, you left wing liberal fuckers are all the same....


amicus...

Unfortunately, xxsve has probably hit the nail on the head with this one--and it's just the sort of thing you have shown you would pounce on here yourself, amicus, from the other side--so suck it up and experience some of what you do to others. (and you wonder why they put you on ignore)

That said, I looked all over the Internet to fill out a story that CNN gave a teaser on with no real information yesterday morning. They said that some famous castle had already been burned--and then never even identified what that famous castle was. Of course the one that sprang to mind was the Hearst Castle. I have no idea if the Hearst Castle is even near that part of the state, but it sent me on a hunt to try to fill out the CNN story, and I couldn't find any more than the sort of vague stories amicus also encountered from the networks. Never did find out what castle they were talking about.

The reports, such as they were, were only talking about a handful of structures actually burnt through much of yesterday--which gave me the impression--along with the paucity of actual news being given--that CNN was hyping the issue (as they are prone to do on slow news days), but by this morning, with thousands of structures and 400 square miles reported burnt, and 350,000 people reported evacuated, its obvious this is another Katrina-level disaster brought on by intense weather issues.

 

[Luk]

I'm in the middle of it and it sucks ass. Trust me.

 

[R. Richard]

That said, I looked all over the Internet to fill out a story that CNN gave a teaser on with no real information yesterday morning. They said that some famous castle had already been burned--and then never even identified what that famous castle was. Of course the one that sprang to mind was the Hearst Castle. I have no idea if the Hearst Castle is even near that part of the state, but it sent me on a hunt to try to fill out the CNN story, and I couldn't find any more than the sort of vague stories amicus also encountered from the networks. Never did find out what castle they were talking about.

It was not the Hearst Castle that burned, but a local Malibu landmark.

 

[sr71plt]

It was not the Hearst Castle that burned, but a local Malibu landmark.

Ah, thanks. The Hearst Castle is on my "to visit" list. It would be a pity if it wasn't there when I finally returned to California (I was born there; hardly ever there since).

 

[R. Richard]

Fox probobly isn't carrying it amicus because it might seem to lend credibility to global warming theories.

The condition that is exacerbating the fire problem is called, in SoCal, a Santa Ana Condition. The Santa Ana Condition is a weather phenomenon that has been around for a million years and more. It has nothing to do with global warming.

 

[xssve]

I know all about the Santa Ana winds, we have a similar meterological pattern in NM - doesn't really matter, I'm not saying it confirms global warming, I'm saying that it presents ammunition at a certain level of perception, it's evidence of the senses as opposed to complex mathmatical theories, and that can go either way - much as the role of wetlands development in the New Orleans disaster was downplayed in favor of the "only stupid people would live on an alluvial plain" theory - nobody trying to make political points from human misery there I guess.

There's already a sympathy thread, you'll have to forgive me if mistook this one for another "liberal media" rant.