For this assignment I spent a few hours in front of the television this morning. I spent a good amount of time switching, from CNN to Fox to MSNBC and back. Like I knew it would be, all three networks shared most of the same stories. But one story was the focus of all three networks- the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Each network devoted time to recapping what happened and the hurricane’s aftermath. Time was also given to discuss what has been done since to rebuild New Orleans. While I wholeheartedly agree that this day should be commemorated and thought should be given to what we have done and how much more we have to do, I nevertheless, find this news to be not totally “newsworthy.”
132 people were killed in India because of flooding. A bomb in Turkey, the fourth bomb since Sunday, killed 3 people. 67 Iraqis were killed after a pipeline explosion. Two more American soldiers were killed in Iraq. A potentially devastating hurricane is quickly approaching Florida. Israel and Lebanon are still stuck in negotiations. And what was the front page of the New York Times webpage? “Gulf Coast Marks Year After Katrina.”
After completing this week’s reading this only makes sense. The Hurricane Katrina story is the epitome of a human-interest story. It was sad, people died, and to top it off, it sparked political finger pointing on who should have done what. Yet, even so, it is difficult to see so much attention given to a story when there are so many more immediate issues that merit the same attention.

When discussing the power of the media an issue that frequently comes to my mind is that of fact checking. How sure can a newspaper or a news network be that its journalists are being honest and true to the facts? However, in recent news we see that not only do we need to be concerned about the journalists, but we also need to be concerned about the photographers. Sure, we have all seen mislabeling, but actual doctoring of photos, now that’s crazy!
Nevertheless, last week, Reuters (yes, Reuters) had to withdraw 920 pictures taken by photographer, Adnan Hajj, from Lebanon. Reuters has confirmed that Hajj used Photoshop to alter a picture following an Israeli air attack on a Lebanese city to appear to have more billowing smoke than it really did. Reuters also found that another photo it published had been doctored, of a F-16 fighter over Southern Lebanon dropping three flares, when in truth it only dropped one. Because of these photographs, they have withdrawn all of Hajj’s pictures.
It is interesting to think of this incident in the context of this class and the first reading. We see how much influence the media has on people’s thoughts and attitudes. It is eerie to even consider how a little Photoshop magic could affect the opinions of many.