Will Rips Irene Hype: Journalism 'Shouldn’t Contribute to the Manufacture of Synthetic Hysteria'
With Irene downgraded to a tropical storm, it is clear that this weather event has become another example of America's media hyping every potential crisis into a full-blown calamity before the fact.
Observing such was George Will on ABC's "This Week" Sunday who told his fellow panelists, "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 manufacture of synthetic hysteria that is so much a part of modern life" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
JAKE TAPPER, HOST: George, you think we’re making too big a deal of all this.
GEORGE WILL: I have a home on South Carolina’s Atlantic Coast. I know that the Atlantic Ocean generates hurricanes, and they can be dangerous and unpredictable. That said, this too must be said: Florence Nightingale said, “Whatever else you can say about hospitals, they shouldn’t make their patients sicker.” 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 manufacture of 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.
When you think about the unnecessary panic and fear ginned up by the media over what indeed turned into a tropical storm before it hit Manhattan, one has to wonder how much time and money was wasted in preparing for the hyped worst case scenario that fortunately never transpired.
Reminds you of 2009's predicted swine flu pandemic.
But maybe far more importantly, this event shows us how our current computer models can't accurately predict either the size, strength, or precise location of a hurricane within hours of it making landfall.
Yet we're supposed to radically change our entire economy over what computer models are forecasting regarding the impact carbon dioxide theoretically will have on the climate decades out.
We've just witnessed how media hype and hysteria concerning weather misleads the nation on events happening in days if not hours.
Shouldn't we be extraordinarily dubious about any calamity these same folks predict well into the future?
- Noel Sheppard's blog
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Comments
Way To Go George...
Submitted by jdripper on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 12:49pm.
Great comment from George Will would have like to see what the other panelists Larry, Moe and Curly said in response.
Jack
Not just swine flu, Noel.
Submitted by Nortonalec on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 12:54pm.
Think back to the coverage Cedar Rapids and Nashville received after the horrible floods both cities endured. Seems like if it doesn't impact the East coast it just isn't newsworthy! What a joke!
2009? I think that was avian
Submitted by Reaver on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 3:01pm.
2009? I think that was avian flu, so many flu scares…
Seems like if it doesn't
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 3:28pm.
Seems like if it doesn't impact the East coast it just isn't newsworthy
Aint that the truth or the West Coast.
BREAKING WINDY NEWS Branch
Submitted by Jack Bauer on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 12:50pm.
BREAKING WINDY NEWS
Branch falls off tree in Rhode Island. No casualties.
All of the above Mr Obama? --- How about ALL OF THE BELOW, instead.
I'm Barack and I'm in charge
Submitted by Texndoc on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 12:56pm.
So the shots of Barack somebody (I need to check his nameplate again) in control at ScaryCane Central didn't soothe you? I laughed and laughed ("Hey guys, which knob makes it spin the other way?")
Doc, ScaryCane Central..... heh.
Submitted by UpNorth on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:01pm.
I thought Barama was just looking around for whoever was supposed to be bringing the donuts to the meeting. If this was supposed to show the country that he was in charge, this was yet another epic fail. He looked as at home as he would have at an Army or Marine combat briefing, that is, lost and confused.
Finally something Obama could do - slow things down.
Submitted by Ray Mark on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:31pm.
I don’t think it was a total failure. I think they finally found something Obama could do – slow things down. The wind slowed down just like the economy, employment, government revenue, etc.
Half of my town will be under 8 feet of water by tonight.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:00pm.
I'm glad Mr. Will is staying dry.
Stay dry SickofLibs!!! I
Submitted by amyshulk on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 5:06pm.
Stay dry SickofLibs!!!
I think what Will is saying that by hyping this storm, they do their viewership a disservice; if/when it doesn't produce the magnitude expected. Then next time, people are going to say "I'm not spending time/money/energy being scared to death, fighting for the last can of food, the last gallon of gas, packing up and getting out of dodge" It's "cry wolf" basically.
This reminds me of AGW - if you aren't 100% on board then you are a denier/insert insulting meme of the day here. What happened to nuance???
Ronald Reagan
Never let a "Crisis" go to waste.
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:02pm.
Never let a "Crisis" go to waste, even when their isn't one. Will the combined energy generated by all the individual back-slapping from all the politicians in the areas effected by this storm outweigh the actual energy of the storm itself? Without a doubt.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
"Shouldn't we be
Submitted by d1carter on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:08pm.
"Shouldn't we be extraordinarily dubious about any calamity these same folks predict well into the future?"
Like "Global Warming".....?
exactly
Submitted by spepper on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:25pm.
Exactly d1carter-- and we should all be extraordinarily dubious as well, about all of the clamored-for government regulations and new taxes associated with "theory"--
political
Submitted by grammajane on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:09pm.
Unbelievable, but the hurricane is politcal for the MSM. They hype it up to show Obama is way ahead of it, sitting at the weather center, where as Bush didn't do anything, according to them. Their constant comparing is quite obvious and not surprising. " Our hero cut his vacation by 12 hours because he is looking out for all invoved in the storm" The media is running the whole situation to promote their agenda, pushing for obama voters.
Good night, Irene ...
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:20pm.
Ahhhhh ... maybe now more people will understand why, after so many false alarms and orders to leave in the past, people were skeptical about evacuating New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and to what they thought they'd be returning after Katrina.
Exactly
Submitted by Blonde on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:01pm.
Therein lies the danger of this overblown hype.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Concur
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:47pm.
I had a business relationship with a shipbuilding company in New Orleans. Back in the early or mid 90's, my primary contact at the company had to spend a few nights in Oklahoma City when he and his family evacuated New Orleans based on some prediction of storm catastrophe. I remember when he got back to work, he told me that his wife vowed that she would never, ever leave the city again because of a storm warning.
I lost contact with the ship building company and my contact there, and always wondered how they fared regarding Katrina.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Couldn't Agree More...
Submitted by packman on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:51pm.
I live in southwest Florida - the eye of Hurricane Charley passed 8 miles from my home in 2005 - of course we were still there because it wasn't predicted to come anywhere near my location. Whoops! George Will is right..."journalism...shouldn’t contribute to the manufacture of synthetic hysteria that is so much a part of modern life..."
As a Florida resident, I keep a keen eye on the weather during hurricane season. But I've learned that the media is after all, not only competitive, but they gotta make a profit too. I watch my favorite "weather personalities" go a little google-eyed and slightly crazy when they discover a new tropical wave in the Atlantic basin. The multi-colored interactive graphics fill the screen in high-definition color....but, oh, wait a minute....its still 3,742 bazillion light years away from me and the spaghetti models all show it going to...what?...freakin' Iceland? But its too late, the entire population of my community has already bought every battery, portable generator, ice cube and battery-powered flashlight within 500 miles and completely cleaned out the Publix & 7-Eleven's too!
I couldn't agree more - metaphorsbwithu - it is precisely this fear-mongering, posturing for top dog, and over-hyping that eventually causes people to just be "numbed" out with all the weather rhetoric. Which means, when a real threat comes along, they're already burned out on "evacuation hysteria," and tend to...do nothing.
I live on the razor's edge of my county's Category 4 & 5 Evacuation Zone. I keep a copy of the map posted by my front door, so when the evacuation police come knocking on my door, I can hold up my map and tell them I ain't going nowhere. Florida has done a good job of providing emergency planning and services, but the one remaining scam - the rhinoceros in the living room - that no one wants to talk about...is the fallacy of their hurricane evacuation plans. I-75 during a normal rush hour is pretty much of a daily goat-rope where I live. So the evacuation plans call for putting 10 times that number of people on the Interstates at one time and its all gonna go just smooth as pudding....???
During Charley, when people tried to evacuate, I-75 quickly became gridlocked. Gas stations ran out of gas, grocery stores, convenience stores also ran dry, people were stranded on the highway in need of food, gas, diapers.....but they couldn't go anywhere because 10 million people taking to the highway all at one time just doesn't work.
My point...???....a lot of this could be avoided it we had (1) accurate forecasts....is it just going to rain and the wind blow a little, or am I really at risk from serious storm damage? (2) Tone down the media rhetoric and hype and give us information that we can use to make intelligent decisions about whether we should evacuate or not. And (3)...don't order mandatory evacuations just to be politically correct. We need much more from our elected officials.
Irene was predicted to be one of the biggest disasters of the 21st century. Although still a significant storm event, it was hardly the Category 3 hurricane that we had been warned about for days and days.
Well, that's what I think. Sorry to ramble on so, but your comment just hit a nerve I guess.
"...Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread..." ~Thomas Jefferson
No worries, Packman
Submitted by Blonde on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:56pm.
It's hype fatigue, something we Floridians are used to, eh?
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Blonde and Packman
Submitted by ricklail on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 9:46pm.
I have to give our local weather reader credit. He predicted the path that Irene took once hitting land. He said that he thought the computer model the NHC was using was the wrong one. I felt like on Thursday though he was in cohorts with the grocery stores. I don't think he over hyped this one as far as things turned out here. As for the Weather Channel and NYC it was over hyped.
In '90 or '91, Dan Rather
Submitted by amyshulk on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 8:36pm.
In '90 or '91, Dan Rather told the world we in Ft. Myers would be wiped off the map. Miami got nailed instead. My friends MIL was near hysterical leading up to it, and I told her flat out it was bs. I did prepeare, JIC I had it wrong, but I'd just separated from the USN, so I was familiar with "Hurry up and wait"
Ronald Reagan
And yet, some moron still
Submitted by ant on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:29pm.
And yet, some moron still manages to strand himself trying to drive through 3 feet of moving water.
Sorry, Barack.
Submitted by Serr8d on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 1:33pm.
Bush's was bigger.
http://twitpic.com/6clszd
LOL
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 3:40pm.
LOL
how in the world
Submitted by kata on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:07pm.
did we ever survive without a 24 hr news cycle.
While it does
Submitted by Bob K on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 3:19pm.
have its downside, like over hyping this Irene b.s., at least we no longer have to rely only what the network Big 3 to decide what is news like in the old days. I will admit that I have cut down my viewing of cable news channels over the past couple of days waaaaaaaay down.
news reporting vs. news making
Submitted by kata on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 5:02pm.
The line between those two items is so unclear now it's hard to remember when there was a distinction.
I like my news uncluttered by opinion and chatter. When we still had cable service if I want the weather I'd go to the weather channel - and even that was becoming to "done up" for my taste. I actually find a lot of comfort just reading national weather service bulletins because they are so straight forward.... Some days I feel I'm too young to be so cynical :)
The Media Facade
Submitted by palmaceiahome on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:12pm.
As usual this whole event was promoted by the Media to try and get there candidate elected. David Gregory on Meet the Press compared Hurricane Irene to Hurricane Katrina 8 times. Him and his panel tried to explain this is how Government is supposed to work. The whole show was like a campaign commercial for Obama. Never mentioning the difference in the two hurricanes.Or what the Democratic Governor and Democratic Mayor did during Katrina. Just one big victory lap for an anemic storm. Why don't they mention how FEMA bombed in Joplin. Missouri? Or how they sucked in Texas with the wild fires. Obama ignored Texas because he can't con votes from them.How does a Republican ever get elected with a media so corrupt?
Pretty good month for Obama
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:36pm.
Obama's grand strategy wins the biggest military conflict since WW2, (maybe even bigger), without the single loss of an American life, and a week or so later he follows that up by taking on, and licking, the biggest hurricane ever to hit the United States. His popularity should soar past the 40% mark.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
waiting for the lawsuits and litigation.
Submitted by Tjexcite on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:12pm.
Of some cancer or other one with a life threating illness who had to move from where they where in the hospital to go to another hospital with all the stress of missing treatments and operations.
The lawsuits will be coming in that they overreacted by evacuating the whole hospitals even before the wind picked up. What is the use of having a hospital there if they just evacuated it. They need to have better plans other than leaving but as usual the government will just make that more cost to everyone to fortify a hospital for a once in a decade storm or earthquake.
Overhyping? By the media?
Submitted by mrt721 on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:15pm.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q64qvkVtXd0
Ya think?
Happened on the weather channel yesterday
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:47pm.
Something similar happened on the Weather Channel at the 1:30pm Central time after the Weather On the 8's, the guy from the weather channel for all intents and purposes looked like he was struggling to walk in the wind, claiming he was moving inch by inch to the shelter with tremendous effort, oh, what a show he put on!
Then two guys walked behind him with no effort at all, one even turned to the camera with a big grin on his face and flashed the peace sign and kept on walking.
That's what happened, I laughed so hard when I saw that.
-Jon
Wish I would have seen that...
Submitted by DumbCanuck on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 5:16pm.
...but I got one here.
Read the comments posted underneath. That'll unlock the mystery.
blech
"There... Are... Four... Lights!"
This was real good
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 5:55pm.
This column was written by a guy who's with the UK Telegraph, and he had some pretty scathing things to say about all the hype. He includes the raw sewage clip and mentions another example of fakery by the weather actors///////// I mean reporters on CNN.
Perfect Storm of Hype
Trust me, this is well worth your time to read.
-Jon
There's also (caution nudity
Submitted by danbo on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:29pm.
There's also (caution nudity alert) http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=http%3A//www.youtube.com/watc...
"You lie!" Rep. Joe Wilson R-(SC)
I couldn't agree more! the
Submitted by TerryWest on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:52pm.
I couldn't agree more! the media and political figure hysteria was irresponsible and counter productive in this emergency.
The President's statement that the hurricane had the possibility of being historically one of the worse only further fueled the fire instead of guiding, encouraging and calming.
Turning off the media shouldn't be the way to handle an emergency of this type but in this case it was the only way to prepare with realistic reasoning instead of frozen by media fed pandemonium, panic and unfounded fear.
Historical liars
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 2:58pm.
A statement like that from someone who's been historically proven to be a liar over and over again is hysterical.
When people hear statements like that plus the evacuation notices from the same government run (down) by this manchild, they aren't going to believe him. And I can't say I blame them. I wouldn't either. And once again, this government was proven wrong about the entire situation(even though it was by design to scare people anyway).
Someone can only cry wolf so many times.
-Jon
jon...
Submitted by Jer on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 4:55pm.
Those predictions--which are customarily and understandably couched in terms of potentialities and worst-case scenarios--were first uttered by a number of meteorologists and veteran storm watchers and merely repeated by state governors and the president. Are you suggesting the state and national leaders should either make no comment or minimize the hazards, and that it is otherwise appropriate for the average citizen to think "big deal, Obama's a liar, so I'm staying put?" That really doesn't make a lot of sense.
Jer
They're only human (mostly)
Submitted by Ben Blankenship on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 5:20pm.
Give our government types a break on this hurricane stuff. You see, it’s been a long time since they’ve had the chance to demonstrate how very well they’re doing their job. Most of the time they toil silently in bureaucrat land, fearing the next budget review where they have to justify their existence. But now along comes Irene. Whoopie! You can’t find a TV channel without their crowding each other aside to proclaim how well they have prepared us for this terrible event. They are also making up for their recent inadequate responses to–for holy smokes–an EARTHQUAKE! And to listen to the Dem. governors tell it, Obama did the most good for us all. Naturally.
Excellent points, Ben
Submitted by Blonde on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:52pm.
It is absolutely irresponsible, however, to scare the crap out of people for ratings(media)/approval(politicians).
It's one thing to demand people evacuate when the danger is REAL. It's another thing entirely to create unnecessary panic. As I told Scoobs....the storm itself doesn't warrant evacuation, but being on Staten Island if the electricity is out for a couple of days doesn't sound like fun...so head out because it will make his life for the immediate future easier.
Personally, I won't consider leaving, even though I live in a mandatory evacuation zone, unless the storm is a high Cat 3 or better. I know what the damage will be, I've taken all of the requisite steps to mitigate it (no big trees close to my house, steel shutters, generator, spare fuel & ice capabilities, etc). I'd go if necessary, but the aftermath of anything less than a catastrophic storm require that I be home, rather than stuck in a shelter and dependent upon others for my (family's) survival.
Of course, if Obama told me to go to a shelter, I'd heed his warning and RUN, not walk. *snort*
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
No, Jer.
Submitted by jon_torlin on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 5:30pm.
Re-read what I said. It didn't say anything about state governors(except those that are sycophantic for Soetoro or RINOs that believe in AGW like NJ) or state leaders or national leaders. I said this government run by the manchild.
I also didn't suggest that the average citizen would hear Soetoro and make a decision like that. I was referring to the fact(and it is a fact) that this administration is populated by a bunch of liars that it begs the question: why would someone who knows they are liars pay any kind of attention to them? Just on the off-chance they might be telling the truth?
I wouldn't trust these jokers to tell me the time of day without triple-checking it through other sources. And I'll believe other sources first.
-Jon
they weren't uttered by all the meteorologists
Submitted by Hoosier Conservative on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:40pm.
I know plenty of weather professionals/enthusiasts, who've watched enough hurricanes weaken over the years, who were all saying by Friday morning that Irene was falling apart.
Yes, there were many people in my city who said, politicians and celebrity meteorologists are always wrong. I personally remember at least 3 major tornado warnings on Saturday - the kind where they interrupt TV with the loud buzzer - and there never was a tornado in my city.
After a while you start ignoring them, because you'll go insane if you run into your bathroom every time they tell you to.
Well, I heard plenty of comments also
Submitted by Jer on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 7:05pm.
that as a Cat-1, damage strictly from high winds would not be the primary issue--and that it never was in this particular case--but rather the impact of heavy rain and storm surges combined with 70 mph gusts over a vast area along the eastern seaboard, including heavily populated regions of the northeast and elsewhere without power or public transportation.
And of course you can't discount the factor of several 24-hr news channels competing for viewers plus a natural disinclination not to err on the side of minimizing any potential hazards.
Jer
Yesterday afternoon Shep on
Submitted by TerryWest on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 3:17pm.
Yesterday afternoon Shep on Fox said he see's dry air behind the hurricane, this he said was good news and he has watched them long enough to know it is good news, but he also said twice " they are going to be mad at me for saying that but it's true" huh? he brings encourging news and they are going to be mad at him?
TY for the clip - I have my
Submitted by amyshulk on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 3:51pm.
TY for the clip - I have my DVR set to tape any and all episodes of this show, but most weeks it doesn't so I wasn't sure if they aired one today. FYI - to find the rest http://abcnews.go.com/thisweek
Ronald Reagan
Hmm, *both* Cokie {This Week
Submitted by amyshulk on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 4:27pm.
Hmm, *both* Cokie {This Week Roundtable: Politics of Storms} and Dyson {Meet the Press: http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2011/08/28/gregory-hails-bo... } used *redound: "to have an advantageous or disadvantageous effect (on)"
Journolist is alive and well!!!
Ronald Reagan
deleted.
Submitted by DumbCanuck on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 5:11pm.
Deleted
"There... Are... Four... Lights!"
Alternative Sources
Submitted by thetruthdetector on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:16pm.
Some one got it right....
While not believing everything posted on this site.... there is good food for thought...
...
https://www.gplus.com/Weather/Insight/The-storm-cannot-master-its-own-st...
One thing's for sure...
Submitted by packman on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 6:53pm.
If Jim Cantore comes to your town...it means you're screwed!
"...Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread..." ~Thomas Jefferson
Please delete this
Submitted by SaguaroJack on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 7:01pm.
Please delete this.
By George!
Submitted by SaguaroJack on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 7:07pm.
Now if Will would just learn to speak plain English.
.
The Weather channel
Submitted by wingnut55 on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 8:58pm.
Two of my favorite things on the Weather Channel were when one reporter was standing on the beach in the wind trying to stand up and the camera panned back to see the hotel balcony because the cameraman was in the hotel room filming. Smart man. The other thing was the guy telling us how to fill a tub full of water for flushing water. Just how dumb do they think we are? We can't figure out how to put water in a tub and have it stay in there for a flushing supply. I wonder how I can remember how to breath without their directions.
.. and now a word from our sponsors...
Submitted by vcb-tn on Sun, 08/28/2011 - 9:51pm.
TWC.. ok, thats it for this this hour, now a word from our sponsors for this week's forecast:
duracell, aquafina, louisiana pacific, radio shack and your local grocers!
After the disgraceful
Submitted by Martin2717 on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 2:24am.
After the disgraceful coverage of Hurricane Katrina, six years ago today btw, I think we all should know by now that the LSM will use any natural disaster for political gain. I knew Irene wouldn't be as bad as they thought as early as Friday morning when she wasn't strengthening in the Atlantic Ocean like they were predicting. She started taking on some wind shearing from the west and then was sucking in drier air from Georgia as she was headed towards the coast of North Carolina. Those elements limit a hurricane from getting stronger and it doesn't matter if it's moving over warm waters. This is what meteorologists have to do a better job of when predicting how strong a hurricane can get. Where is that unexpected wind shear going to come from? They got the track right, but not how strong Irene was going to be as she was heading up the coast.
Despite all that, when it comes to hurricane coverage I will be only tuning to the Weather Channel and going to sites like the National Weather Service and WeatherBell (I like Joe Bastardi). After Katrina, the news media lost all credibility on how to cover a hurricane. A bunch of clowns that don't know what they're talking about.
Silly Post
Submitted by red-sox-rudy on Mon, 08/29/2011 - 11:42am.
1. Every media outlet of every stripe tries to sensationalize every weather event. This is true for the smallest little local channel all the way up to the big media conglomerates. It keeps people watching TV and sells adds. Duh. Tell me again how this is liberal media bias/
2. That being said, this storm did have the POTENTIAL to be catastrophic. So mocking officials for being prepared is a little silly. Weather by its very nature is unpredictable. So everyone saying that "well way back when, so-and-so was wrong about a weather prediction." To then use this as a reason to not prepare for the worst when there is a potential hurricane hitting the large cities of the eastern seaboard is a little ignorant.