A week after a rare weather event called a derecho hit eastern Iowa causing massive destruction, reporters in Cedar Rapids say there hasn’t been enough national network TV or cable news coverage.
A week after a rare weather event called a derecho hit eastern Iowa causing massive destruction, reporters in Cedar Rapids say there hasn’t been enough national network TV or cable news coverage.
The dearth of coverage was so obvious that it was the subject of a tweet by Elizabeth Malicki, news anchor at KCRG, Gray’s ABC affiliate in Cedar Rapids, which has since gone viral.
“We’ve experienced natural disasters before,” tweeted Malicki. “During the flood of 2008 the National Guard was here, the president did a tour by sky, the future president did the same. FEMA came to town and people from other states sent help. None of that is happening so far here. And I’m getting worried none of that critical assistance is going to show.”
One of the more disturbing comments Malicki made when I spoke to her for a column last week, was that a FEMA official told her after the 2008 flood, “thanks for showing the damage, the more you show, the easier it is for us to be called in.”
If this is true, that FEMA relies on press coverage to determine which disasters to respond to, then maybe Iowans devastated by the disaster are not only being ignored by the national network and cable TV news outlets, but by the government agency funded to help in these kinds of natural disasters.
Even The Washington Post drew attention to the lack of coverage when it published an op-ed story by Lyz Lenz, columnist for the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
In her piece, An Inland Hurricane Tore Through Iowa. You Probably Didn’t Hear About It, Lenz wrote, “The few news stories that have been picked up are wire stories; we wrote them. Meanwhile, the national and local media covered hurricane Isaias every day for a week. East Coast residents had time to prepare for Isaias; Iowa had little warning.”
Lenz goes on to say that only one elected leader is calling for a disaster declaration, Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D). She names others who have remained silent when it comes to demanding national help.
“Even if they eventually take up calls for help, it will have come belatedly, leaving hundreds of thousands to sit in their homes without power, without food, struggling to access and coordinate help.”
How much coverage has the national network news given the story? It appears ABC, NBC and CBS covered the story the day after.
I did a Google and YouTube search to find some examples of their coverage in the news.
ABC News had coverage on Good Morning, America, the day after. In fact, ABC News chief meteorologist Ginger Zee told Malicki that she saw her tweet, and normally, “she would come there and stay there and cover it but she can’t travel due to Covid.”
NBC News had a story the day after the derecho and has followed up several days since.
CBS News This Morning also had a story about the derecho on August 11th, the day after the disaster.
I found this story on CNN’s website dated the day after the derecho.
According to Lenz, the situation is still dire in Iowa.
More than 10 million acres, or 43 percent, of the state’s soybean and corn crops have been damaged. Days after the disaster, 70% of people still have no power. Many businesses are only taking cash, which is a problem as banks are closed. A citywide curfew exists.
There is no trash pickup. There are one hundred thousand fridges of rotting food.
Downtown, bricks and glass litter the sidewalks. All restaurants lost all of their perishables. Factories are closed. Offices are closed. The economy — the whole thing — is stopped.
“It’s bad here. Very bad. Bags of rotting food line the streets. City trucks can’t get through on roads blocked by debris and downed wires.”
With the city dark, Lenz said you can see the Milky Way from downtown.
NOTE: President Trump approved a major federal disaster declaration for Iowa on Monday, Aug. 17, less than 24 hours after Gov. Kim Reynolds sent him a request that detailed nearly $4 billion needed to assist with recovery from last week’s derecho. The president plans to visit Cedar Rapids today, August 18, to survey damage and meet with state and local officials.
KDRV, Allen Media Broadcasting’s ABC affiliate in Medford, Oregon (DMA 135) is looking for a meteorologist to join its StormWatch 12 team. This is a great opportunity to join a dominant television station with the market’s top-rated local newscasts, quality syndicated programming, strong ABC network programming, and a broad range of digital products. KDRV-TV produces more local news across more platforms than any other media outlet in our market. Click here for more specifics and how to apply.
Comments (0)
Reader Interactions