Does anyone else get overwhelmed by the mdiea coverage of disasters?

[angie1976]

Tuesday there was an earthquake in Haiti, unfortunate and terrible for the people there, and the people here that have family member in the affected areas, but the news coverage is too much for me to handle. I was watching the news last night, and all they were doing in a special 2-hour coverage was talking about how thousands of people had died, showing buildings that were reduced to piles of rubble, and talking about people wandering the streets looking for loved ones. Then, they interviewed people in the U.S. that were from Haiti and still had family there, who talked about their concerns about their family members still there. I do care, but how does showing all of this devastation for 2 hours help any of the people that are suffering? I simply had to change the channel to something that was not so overwhelming.

How do you feel about the way that the news reports information? Are you overwhelmed, like I am, by the complete lack of good news that they tell the public? In this time of uncertainty and economic instability, don't people need to hear about happy, light-hearted stories, too, not just hours upon hours of death and destruction for days on end?

[TNShannon]

Sometimes it does become overwhelming, and I have to change the channel. But most of the time, it is a reminder of how fortunate I really am.

Last night I was watching the CNN coverage of Haiti, and the story of a little girl they were trying to pull out of the rubble...and though it was hard to watch, and though I was crying by the end of it, I was very aware of my own children...who are the same age as that little girl. But mine were safe in their beds.

So...I think the coverage is important. So many times I see the world as a consumer-driven place where everyone is more interested in their latest cell phone or the new movie coming out than they are about what is really happening in the world. I think in that way, the news coverage serves as a wake-up call, and hopefully reminds us of what is really important.

And hopefully, it serves as a call to action. I heard on one of the newscasts that millions upon millions of dollars had been donated to the Red Cross and other organizations through text messages -- and that's HUGE. The more people hear about it, and the more they feel connected to those in Haiti, the more they will help. That's definitely a happy story, right? :)

[SallySue15]

I do get overwhelmed sometimes, but I think that TNShannon is right, it is good that the coverage is getting people to donate to the Red Cross to help fund some of the recovery efforts in Haiti. People are also volunteering to go to Haiti to search for survivors, and that is due mainly to the information that they have been made aware of, through the news.

I think that it is heart warming to hear stories of people donating time, and money to help other people be reunited with their families.