The Ungluing in Haiti
Imagine if you will, the sideline reporter at your favorite football game, casting his microphone aside to deliver a bone crunching tackle on a wide receiver streaming down the sideline.
It’s an unfathomable proposition, unfortunately exposing itself in gory detail. The aftermath of the Haiti earthquake is an undeniable drama of epic proportions that has presented this exact scenario. Act or watch people die.
In the modern era we’ve come to expect impartiality from our news organizations, but as a matter of education and the imperfections lurking within the human psyche, this is a standard which is rarely achieved. We are a smarter generation, and we know every reporter brings a bias and vision to the story that necessarily has blind spots that we may or may not share.
But the coverage CNN has been executing on Haiti is nothing short of mind boggling. In the meltdown of infrastructure and the satisfaction of basic needs and services such as communication, transportation, health care and security, the reporters in the midst of this tragedy find themselves in the unique position of becoming participants in the story.
Believe it or not, the reporter’s ultimate goal is not to be a participant in the story, rather it is to provide as unbiased an account as possible while being as close to the story as possible. Somehow, the motionless body of a child lying alive but bleeding within the outskirts of a camera lens can conjure up emotions too strong to resist. Quietly, the preservation of life, is one of the essential bonds that has ensured our survival since days of old when we were simply snacks with legs to far bigger and faster creatures. Luckily for the people in Haiti, CNN remembers.
Anderson Cooper pulled a boy out of harms way after he was hit in the head by a concrete brick. Another correspondent had his vehicle commandeered to take an injured girl to the hospital. Dr. Sanjay Gupta went so far as to perform surgery and render medical aid in accordance with his expertise. Their frustration, outrage and helplessness was evident in their reports.
I couldn’t help but think how bad the situation was that reporters were actively involved within the story. The country is falling apart so much so that reporters are helping to lead the charge.
I couldn’t help but move toward inserting myself in the story.
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