Haiti Earthquake: Grim News. Who Covered It?

by Rachel Sklar | 12:04 am, January 13th, 2010

» 20 comments

Today’s big news story was Conan O’Brien‘s flip-off to NBC — until the Haiti earthquake. Late in the afternoon at around 5 p.m. EST, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti just outside Port-au-Prince, the capital city and one with one of the highest population densities in the world. The huge earthquake — by all accounts the worst that region has seen for hundreds of years — caused massive damage to the city, with building collapsed into rubble everywhere, trapping people underneath, and reports of mounting casualties. There have also been a number of powerful aftershocks, one reaching 5.9 on the Richter scale. The president’s palace has sustained damage; one of the earliest reports was of a hospital collapsing. CNN reports that the headquarters for the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission outside of Port-au-Prince has collapsed. These are poignant and telling indicators of just how challenging it is and will be to get aid to this stricken, suffering land.

It’s a pretty awful story, and has been getting more awful as details have emerged. That’s why it was jarring to turn to MSNBC at around 7:30 and see the previously-run version of Hardball, talking about the “Game Change” and Harry Reid and the like. On CNN, Jessica Yellin was anchoring live coverage, carrying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton‘s live statement pledging that the U.S. would send humanitarian aid and “both civilian and military disaster relief.” I was struck by the fact that this was the Hillary Clinton that mattered in 2010, and at this moment; the details of Game Change are certainly interesting, but at that moment, the distance between then and now couldn’t have seemed more stark.

On Fox News, Shep Smith said “Reports from on the ground are that every other structure in Haiti is either down or damaged, at least in Port-au-Prince.” On MSNBC, Chris Matthews was on, this time returning to 2001 and the timeline of 9/11 based on Rudy Giuliani’s idiotic remark. Again, the at-the-moment relevance seemed a little wanting.

At 8, Campbell Brown continued the live coverage. FNC’s “O’Reilly Factor” is pre-taped at 5 p.m. and, to my knowledge, ran as such (including his interview with Sarah Palin, newly-anointed FNC analyst). On MSNBC, Keith Olbermann was in the middle of a long, scathing intro promising to rip into steroid-user Mark McGwire. I was confused, wondering aloud on Twitter: “Is MSNBC live? Olbermann teased McGwire steroids heavily up top, started with Palin, McCain and Game Change. CNN still on Haiti.” I wasn’t sure until the very end of the show — there had not been a single reference to Haiti, which, for someone with one eye on Tweetdeck while compulsively checking out CNN, felt jarring. The throw to Rachel Maddow was clearly live though.

Maddow opened her show with the breaking news of the Haiti quake, and the report below. I stayed with her until she moved on to other topics, and then I switched back to CNN. Larry King opened with the earthquake, then had a long segment about Leno and Conan with Donald Trump and Dick Cavett before switching back to live coverage around half-time. Then Anderson Cooper took over, saying “It is night in Haiti. Cries can be heard echoing through the streets – cries for help, cries of pain.” Switching back to MSNBC, I saw that they were rerunning Olbermann.

At 11, I stuck with CNN. A few minutes in, our tips line got an email: “No tips, just interesting to see MSNBC actually covering news outside of their scheduled blocks!” I switched — it was Rachel Maddow, as scheduled — but she was live. She’d stuck around to do her show live, and the coverage was great. David Shuster was there, too, saying: “The epicenter of the earthquake could not have been in any worse location.” Oh sure, they know this now; obviously Haiti’s high population density, poor population and vulnerable infrastructure weren’t enough of a tip-off that a 7.0 magnitude earthquake would be devastating.

I have complained before in this space about MSNBC sticking with taped programming over real breaking news, after they gave the Christmas Day near-bombing on Detroit-bound Northwest 253 a miss — and at HuffPo before that. It is MSNBC’s call how to allocate their resources in this challenging environment, and they have made their priorities pretty clear. But still, I feel bound to say it, again: If you’re going to call yourself a news network, then cover the news.

Back on MSNBC, live at around 11:20, Rachel Maddow spoke with Raymond Joseph, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States. She thanked him, saying “I understand your time is incredibly valuable right now. Good luck to you, sir, and we do appreciate it.”

“Thanks for the solidarity with Haiti,” he said.

******

Here are some clips of the coverage: Two reports from CNN (including Tom Foreman doing a “Haiti 101″ segment on AC 360, which was very informative), and Maddow’s introductory clip at the top of her 9 p.m. show.

Update: A commenter points out that Fox was weak in prime time as well, beyond O’Reilly. I confess that I stayed with CNN through most of the 9pm hour until shortly after 11.

Photo via the New York Times.

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http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

For several hours only CNN was covering the earthquake. Fox and MSNBC were too busy hurling flaming spitballs of nonsense to notice the unfolding human tragedy in Haiti. In fact, The Weather Channel had better coverage than Fox or MSNBC.

I just looked:
MSNBC in live coverage with the ever condescending David Schuster, who in a question to the Haitian Ambassador to the US asked, “Does Port au Prince have firefighters?” Nice.
CNN continued their live coverage, including where to donate to help.
The Weather Channel brought in USGS experts and their own tropical experts to explain Haiti’s geography.
Fox – rerunning Hannity, who at last look was pointing out typos by the Dem in the Mass Senate race.

At the end of the day, a shameful performance by both MSNBC and Fox. Scooped by The Weather Channel!
http://MsUnderestimated.com MsUnderestimated

It’s about time for MSNBC to have “live” news. I’m shocked they weren’t airing some documentary about a maximum security prison somewhere called “Lockup- Raw!”

MSNBC has so far to go, and it appears the odds are insurmountable. As much as I disdian them, I think it would be a loss to cable news to show the disparity between cable news outlets – MSNBC is always behind everything else. FNC? Always on top of things, except on the rare occasion where they have taped documentaries. Btu even THEN they always cut in with breaking news events, and sometimes take over the whole hour-segment.

No wonder why FNC is #1.
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

@ MsUnderestimated – Except on this story. In a rare misstep in live breaking news, FNC stuck pretty much with their schedule with tiny little updates. It is usually MSNBC that ignores the actual news. BTW, Fox is number one because they know their audience and they deliver to that audience. MSNBC is where it is because they do not see any audience and assume that the viewing public will just sit there and swoon.

I agree that MSNBC is a joke on most days, though. Seriously – nothing ever happens after noon on weekends? That said, Schuster’s question to the ambassador is genuinely stupid and highly offensive.

At this time all are in rerun with some break ins for new info. The real test will be tomorrow. Who covers actual news and who resumes hurling flaming spitballs of nonsense.
GrrrlRomeo

I prefer something in the middle with periodically breaking news updates along with other news, not the extreme of 0% or 100% airtime dedicated to one story. I cannot take hours on end of one story, especially one that is traumatic. I think that kind of obsessiveness messes with people’s minds and emotions…it does with mine anyway.

I think Rachel Maddow did it right on MSNBC. I don’t want all the day’s news coverage completely dropped for one story, but I also don’t want to feel like I’m completely missing something major.

I’m assuming TRMS planned on reporting on Haiti early on around 5pm ET because the Maddow Blog was following it. Why the Hardball rerun didn’t at least have a break-in or Countdown didn’t even mention it in the meantime is beyond me.
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Ben Linus

Well, this was an international story.
When it’s an international story you have to go to CNN because it seems like they are the only ones really set up for it.
MSNBC does okay, when they decide to cover the news, but CNN still does a better job than them on international stories.
I don’t think Fox News is good for big international stories, they just aren’t set up for them.
RazorsEdge

NYT’s The Lede blog has been doing some good updates regarding Haiti:

NYT The Lede – Haiti Updates

Amazing before/after shots of Haiti presidential palace etc.

I agree on cable, CNN with their international news room resources seems to provide more comprehensive coverage. That MSFT big board getting better.
ImNotBlue

I can’t help but wonder if this is more about what we expect, than what we need. We feel like when there’s a big event, we should get wall to wall coverage… but how valuable is it really? Do we really need endless updates, when there are no real updates to give?

Someone who was able to watch last night (I wasn’t), tell me what was the new information coming out last night… if anything. Or was it rehashing the story over and over again.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

@ImNotBlue & @GrrrlRomeo: If there’s wall-to-wall, then whenever anyone decides to click-in for an update, they’re assured that it’ll be there.

And though this may not be the appropriate place, but some people spend a lot of time focused on ratings…

CNN may no longer be at the top of the heap and their Haiti coverage will likely lose out to Sarah Palin, but it is because they are there covering the news that I’d venture, if a cable operator were to discuss removing them from the dial, there would be a huge uproar.

I mean, it may be an advertising slogan, but it’s also a level of comfort at times of big event;
“When news happens, CNN is there”
personwhomakescomments

LOL @ ImNotBlue

Apparently bashing Obama over, and over, and over again on Fox News isn’t tiring….but covering the destruction and devastation of millions of poor innocent people bores you, eh? How valuable is what Fox News provides vs. what CNN did last night?
ice queen

@ImNotBlue Everyone has a choice to watch or not watch and they can do so by changing the channel. I’ve been watching the coverage on CNN since it started early yesterday evening and like previous posters have said CNN does a great job with Breaking News, always have. Things are changing minute to minute and Fox was paying homage to “Queen Sarah”. Give me CNN over any network for Breaking News any time.
TW Jackson

CNN does a great Job always being on top of the news and whats going on around the world. If i ever hear of something big going on i just head over to their website and it always seems to be there. I know some people think its not necessary to be that up to date on whats going on but sometimes its necessary.

Sincerely, TW Jackson
Matt Huston

I really cared about “Queen Sarah” i thought she was a great singer. I loved her lyrics to her music and i really liked her as a person. I will never forget her…EVER!

My regards, Matt Huston
Matt Huston

Oh and i think that there will me some magic of making up if they can pull it all together. I know its sad all this has happened but i believe there will be true magic in everyone coming together to make things work again. Lets all take our hates off to Queen Sarah!
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http://www.facebook.com/people/Thomas-Mark-Shaw/1188454445 Thomas Mark Shaw

Being a church goer myself, appart from the obvious loss of life, one of the most beautiful churches in Port au Prince is now nothing more than a pile of broken stained glass and bricks. Like so many buildings in the city, it looks like the earthquake happened yesterday, not almost a year ago.
The Magic of Making Up
alexgreend

I mean, it may be an advertising slogan, but it’s also a level of comfort at times of big event;
“When news happens, CNN is there”

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