George Will feels media reaction to Irene overblown

[Playinghardball]

Source: RawReplay
By Andrew Jones

In the mind of George Will, the media’s reaction to Hurricane Irene has been “manufactured hysteria.”

The conservative commentator was not afraid to describe how he really felt about what he thought was less than stellar TV coverage of the storm on ABC’s This Week Sunday morning.

“Florence Nightingale said, ‘Whatever you say about hospitals, they shouldn’t make their patients sicker,” he said. “And whatever else you want to say about journalism, it shouldn’t subtract from the nation’s understanding, and it certainly shouldn’t contribute to the manufactured, synthetic hysteria that is so much a part of modern life. And I think we may have done so with regard to this ‘tropical storm,’ as it now seems to be.”

Cokie Roberts strongly disagreed with Will’s view.

“What we learned is that you do have to prepare for these disasters, and you have to prepare for everybody,” Roberts said. “And when you’re talking about a storm of these proportions, you really do have to take care, even if it’s a tropical storm, it’s enormous. It’s an enormous storm that can get people out of their homes and separated from their families.”

WATCH: Video from ABC, which aired on August 28, 2011

http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/08/george-will-feels-media-reaction-to-irene-overblown/

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. And like all those who complant of the hype

dime on dollar that he'd be critical if they ignored the whole thing and people died...

Did they do some hype? Sure... did they pass useful civil defense info.. absolutely

[spanone]

2. hey george, are you for bachmann or perry? c'mon mr intellect, it's YOUR party.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. Better overblown than underblown.

A simple truth.

[LiberalFighter]

19. And it wasn't imo overblown much by those responsible for emergency response.

Although it may not be the case for the media.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. He is correct to a point. The media is needed to get the word out and does not know how to do it

without hype, hyperbole, and hysteria since it is all about entertainment. Journalism, if it ever really existed, is now totally gone.

[Frances]

5. George Will just wants to be sure that Obama

does not get any credit for his handling of the storm.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. THREAD WINNER

[Igel]

17. The "handling" was minor.

Local officials have emergency plans. States have emergency plans.

FEMA has administrators for supporting local and state emergency plans. Obama basically "handled" a lot of it by telling people to follow local plans. To the extent he needed to be hands on and handle anything, to precisely that extent his subordinates weren't properly trained and empowered. Much of his "work" was receiving briefings. Other parts of his work were being seen in the right place with the right people.

It's one of those things that if Obama was super-prez and did all the heavy lifting he'd get credit for all his hard work *and* equally hard-earned disrespect for making the government all about him instead of making sure that all the levels from the #2 slot on down functioned correctly and efficiently. (And, even then, as soon as it's to the state level it's not his show, it's the governors' and local elected officials' show.)

I give credit where credit is due. The mayors and governors had their acts together. Obama supported them--which is exactly what his role *should* be, by the way, given the way our government is structured and given our Constitution.

[FLPanhandle]

7. Of course it was over hyped

Everyone knows the media was over hyped it.

The only difference is some think it's okay because generating lots of fear made people evacuate and do what they think they should be doing.

Others think the media should present accurate information and realistic forecasts and let people make up their own minds.

Either way, most people know it was over hyped.

[truedelphi]

11. Good for you - as someone who endured

A Northern California rainstorm that kicked in the late spring of 2006, and didn't quit for 40 days, and I was required to drive to work on run down back roads that were crumbling while I drove, with 38 mile an hour winds pushing my vehicle all around, I commend you. (Weather events in The Western States rarely get coverage, as CNN and the Weather station are both based in Atlanta GA)

Yesterday my spouse was remarking on how people in Florida must feel. Glad you are willing to discuss this.

This weekend, the East Coast experienced a 60 mile an hour Tropical storm that basically had a few gusts of 80 mile an hour winds. Yes a few people died, but people die every weekend on the highways covering a six state area.

It is sad for the victims, but still all the panic and evacuation and hysteria over the non event was bewildering and just plain wrong.

Yesterday, when I tuned in to see if the Carolinas were still there as utter devastation and destruction was prophesied all day Friday, and the most devastation I could find was one anchor man on one beach waiting for a railing to fall off a pier.

In a real storm the whole pier would have gone down.

[FLPanhandle]

12. I think most on the east coast know it was over hyped too.

Some are just defensive.

Here in Florida all we are all rolling our eyes over the amount of coverage of a Cat 1/Tropical Storm.

[monmouth]

14. Hehehe....

[cwydro]

22. Those of us who have been through some big ones..

without media coverage, under water for a day, no power for weeks...hey we know.

I give up on this.

But to you fellow storm survivor

:thumbsup:

[Waiting For Everyman]

8. RWers make a career out of attacking the media

to the point of utter nonsense. For instance, the myth of the "liberal media bias". What a sick joke.

So you're criticizing the media, what else is new George? Better that, than acknowledge what a good job was done by those who *actually did something* during this emergency.

Interesting though, that his views coincide so well with some here on DU.

[woo me with science]

9. Of course it was overblown. nt

[Raven]

10. Hyped or not, I watched and listened and prepared and I am

glad I did. Sitting here tonight with an emergency generator chugging away and no serious damage because I watched and listened and prepared.

[Yavin4]

13. But The Fearmongering that Bush and the Republicans Did with 9/11 for 8 years is okay with Will? n/t

[FarCenter]

15. Only about 5 % of the cable channels were covering Irene

Another 5% seemed to have cooking or food shows.

[Jakes Progress]

16. george will becomes more and more irrelevant every day.

[titaniumsalute]

18. These pics are a great way to argue his point

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44305129/ns/weather/?gt1=43001

[Fumesucker]

20. George Will subtracts from the nation's understanding every time he opens his mouth..

This is the first time I've agreed with Will on anything in years and I'm sure it will be the last for a long time.

[Hart2008]

21. Media reaction to George Will is overblown. What a pompous a$$ NT

[democrat_n_all_that]

23. George Will 's comments on over hype of Irene

I know sometimes the media can over hype events that are
unfolding in our world. However for the millions of people
without power, Vermont under water and all the lives loss and
counting I just don't think they quite feel the same way. Oops
I'm sorry I meant think the same way.

George on this one you are wrong!

With all the destruction seen today on the aftermath of Irene
I just don't see the over hype. I hope you have a different
take on the Hurricane come Sunday.