Ever since word broke of a major earthquake hitting Haiti yesterday afternoon, news outlets have struggled to find the right way to cover this story with precious little information. Judging by last night’s lack of coverage, cable news might only exist when there is footage for broadcast. Of course, a lack of visuals doesn’t make a story any less important, it just makes it harder to cover – which is why both the NY Times and CNN have turned to Twitter feed from individuals

The huge 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti late this afternoon has reduced much of that country’s poor, densely-populated capital city of Port-au-Prince to rubble. It’s a devastating story — and one that you’d think the 24-hour cable news networks would have covered. But did they?

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The U.S. Geological Survey reports that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake has rocked Haiti. The quake at 1:53 p.m. PST was centered about 10 miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince. The Associated Press reported that a hospital has collapsed. A local tsunami watch was issued for that part of the Caribbean, but the warning from the Pacific Tsunami Watch Center said a widespread threat ”does not exist based on historical earthquake and tsunami data.”