Grumpy Editor

Editors should note FEMA aid denial to 5 Illinois counties

Editors in hurricane, earthquake, tornado and flood-prone areas should be concerned about how five southern Illinois counties and especially Harrisburg, Ill, recently smacked by a 170-mph twister that damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes, are being nixed for assistance by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), advises Grumpy Editor. 

The “no help” should spark editorials because the same thing could happen in the areas they serve. 

Denial of aid comes despite the stated mission of FEMA, with about 7,500 employees, that is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

“FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.”

Denying aid means residents of the region will not be eligible for federal funds to assist in repairing or replacing damage from a mighty Feb. 29 twister.

Eric Gregg, mayor of Harrisburg, where the tornado killed seven residents, said, “I want to know how this decision was reached and why because frankly, I don't understand it.”  He estimated damage to his community at “tens of millions.” 

Gregg hoped President Barack Obama will visit southern Illinois to see the devastation first hand. 

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said he was “extremely disappointed that FEMA denied our request for federal assistance that is needed to help people in Harrisburg, Ridgway and the other communities.  After personally surveying the damage and talking to many residents who lost their homes, I firmly believe federal assistance is crucial to help them begin the recovery process." 

The governor hoped to get the FEMA decision appealed.

A FEMA spokesman said agency officials determined assistance from state and local agencies, combined with volunteer groups and private insurance, would be enough for the five counties to rebuild on their own.

 

Costa Concordia disaster sparks editorial cartoonists

The captain of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia that tumbled against rocks near the port of Giglio, an island off the Italian coast, is getting it from all sides --- and inspiring editorial cartoonists overseas and in the U.S., observes Grumpy Editor. 

In Europe, the Brussels newspaper, La Libre Belgique, in an editorial cartoon this week, links the maritime disaster with the euro. 

Belgian cartoonist Christian Louis (who signs his work simply “Clou”) sketches a large cruise ship, named Euro, on its side against rocks near a beach where two men stand.  One asks, “Is the captain on board?”  The other responds, “What captain?” 

While that might not bring a Jay Leno-type laugh, the cartoon illustrates two mighty events that happened on Friday the 13^th: 

Standard & Poor's downgraded the debt rating of several eurozone countries in the euro area and the Costa Concordia keeled over at Giglio. 

Among editorial cartoonists in the U.S., Mike Luckovich, of the Atlanta-Constitution, wasted no time in drawing a sinking ship, identified as Titanic 2012, with a message, “Attention passengers, the icebergs melted and we hit a drowning polar bear…” 

 

NOW ABOUT THE CAPTAIN IN THE LIFEBOAT

Meanwhile, much is being made of cruise ship captain Francesco Schettino’s remarks while chaos spread on the stricken vessel. 

Quotes from La Repubblica, one of Italy's two national daily newspapers, makes worldwide rounds in describing how the ship’s captain explained how he wound up in a lifeboat while passengers were struggling on decks. 

“I was trying to get people into the boats in an orderly fashion,” the newspaper quotes Schettino explaining to a judge during a hearing Tuesday. “Suddenly, since the ship was at a 60-70-degree angle, I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats. That's how I found myself in the lifeboat.”

As for crashing the 114,500-ton, 952-foot-long ship --- in service for five and a half years --- with 4,234 people on board, the captain says:

"I made a mistake on the approach.” 

 

Most media miss Carnival Corp. as Costa Concordia owner

Many print/broadcast reporters have been confused over ownership of the luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia that ran aground with 4,234 people on board Friday night off Giglio island, 18 miles off Italy’s central west coast, observes Grumpy Editor.

The 114,500-ton, 952-foot-long Italian-built ship, in service five and a half years, hit an object (possibly a rock) that caused a 160-foot gash in its hull, sending water gushing into the vessel.  It rolled over in shallow water.  

Passengers described the resulting confusion as reminiscent of the Titanic. 

The ship was near capacity, with 4,234 people, including about 1,100 crew, on board. 

Death toll reached five with 29 missing. 

While most print and broadcast reports identified the ship as being Italian, run by Genoa-based Costa Cruises, actual owner is New York Stock Exchange-listed Carnival Corp. & plc, the world’s largest cruise ship operator, with dual headquarters in Miami and London. 

Along with Costa, the company owns Carnival Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn Cruise Line among others, with a fleet of 101 ships.  Another 10 ships are scheduled for delivery by March 2016. 

Costa Cruises operates 15 ships. 

Corporate public relations people will be very busy in the days ahead. 

"This is a PR nightmare for the Costa brand," said Jaime Katz, equity analyst from investment research company Morningstar in Chicago, Reuters reported. 

The stricken vessel was one of Carnival Corp.’s key assets in the lucrative European cruise market.

 

Casey Anthony trial tops Bing’s 2011 most searched list

Already, one month before year’s end, and a Bing top 10 list of most searched news stories for 2011 is the first out of the chute, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Search engine Bing, from Microsoft Corp., tallied news items on high profile trials of Casey Anthony (tops on the list) and Michael Jackson/Dr. Conrad Murray (No. 7) as among those getting the most attention. 

Also sought by inquisitive minds were natural disasters Hurricane Irene (No. 3), Japan’s earthquake and tsunami (No. 4) and the Joplin tornado (No. 6). 

Remembrances ranking high included the 9/11 10-year anniversary (No. 8) and the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake (No. 10). 

How they stacked up for Bing searchers: 

• Casey Anthony trial
• Osama bin Laden death
• Hurricane Irene
• Japan earthquake/tsunami
• Amy Winehouse death
• Joplin tornado
• Michael Jackson/Dr. Conrad Murray trial
• 9/11 10-year anniversary
• Republican candidates Herman Cain, Rick Perry
• Haiti anniversary 

Interestingly, nothing connected to Congress, jobs, taxes, economy or unusual stock market gyrations made the top 10.

 

Reno P-51 plane crash stories put pilot's age in spotlight

Print and broadcast news coming out of Reno following Friday’s crash of a World War II-era P-51 Mustang fighter aircraft all reported --- within the first three paragraphs --- that the pilot was 74 years old, implying age was a factor in the incident that left 10 people dead, including the pilot, and scores injured, observes Grumpy Editor.

However, images captured as the aircraft spiraled out of control and crashed showed a chunk of the tail section was missing. 

Experts identified the missing part appeared to be an elevator trim tab that affects control of the aircraft.

Pilot Jimmy Leeward, of Ocala, Fla., was a veteran airman and movie stunt pilot and participated before in the National Championship Air Races.

The Reno event operated under stringent Federal Aviation Administration regulations.  That included examinations of pilots’ qualifications, their aircraft and records plus a requirement that participants complete rigorous training prior to the annual competition. 

Meanwhile, reporters disclosed that the Reno airport where the air race was conducted was then closed while officials conducted an investigation. 

Not one mentioned that the crash occurred at Reno-Stead Airport, not at the unaffected larger Reno-Tahoe International Airport, eight miles away. 

 

As TV news eyes ratings, Hurricane Irene’s eye fizzles

In going with wall-to-wall coverage of Hurricane Irene over the weekend, television cable news channels --- encouraged by forecasts --- on Friday night initially figured a monster storm would raise havoc on the East Coast and their on-scene reporters would give an historic play by play, notes Grumpy Editor.  ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and CNN all had their top talent on camera during the weekend.

Wind-blown reporters standing (by tradition) in the rain, often with crashing surf as backdrops, did their jobs.  But fizzling Irene, downgraded to a tropical storm before reaching New York, let them down.

With no catastrophe to report, especially in the New York City area --- where authorities shut down airports and transit operations ahead of the storm --- the main focus became flooded streets, power outages and downed trees.

Disappointment in the tone of reporting came Sunday morning, as one network reporter tried to keep news directors’ spirits up (and viewers glued to TV sets) by cautioning, “There still is concern here.”

One TV meteorologist, mid-day Sunday, confessed Irene would be remembered “not as a wind storm, but as a flooding storm.”

An early indication of possible doom came five days earlier when an Associated Press story warned, “Forecasters say the hurricane could grow to a monstrous Category 4 storm with winds of more than 131 m.p.h. before it’s predicted to come ashore this weekend on the U.S. mainland.”

After Irene reached the eastern fringes of North Carolina, a parade of state and federal officials issued dire warnings and told residents to evacuate.  President Barack Obama made two appearances on national television.

“Breaking news” banners peppered TV screens.

Grumpy Editor noticed several TV appearances of Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.  That contrasted with virtually no media mention of FEMA earlier this year when extensive floods for days smacked the U.S. along the Mississippi River.

With Irene fading and sunshine appearing yesterday morning, a TV newsman went into detailed coverage of a Long Island hotel parking lot under 18 inches of water.

The headline on Howard Kurtz’s media blog for The Daily Beast yesterday summed up the meteorological event with:  A Hurricane of Hype.

Across the Atlantic in London, a Daily Telegraph headline over a comprehensive storm story read:  Perfect Storm of Hype:  Politicians, the media and the Hurricane Irene apocalypse that never was.

 

Tropical storms again grab attention of news editors

Extreme tropical winds, especially with the hurricane season running through Nov. 30, grab the attention of both print and broadcast news editors even when the disturbances are far from U.S. shores, notes Grumpy Editor.

Print editors, for example, are inclined to yank a story about Boy Scouts performing good deeds in favor of an article on swirling winds, complete with photos of swaying palm trees, heading westward across the Atlantic Ocean or moving northward along the eastern Pacific. 

Editors this week are focusing on three windy tropical storms. 

Biggest one, Hurricane Dora, a lengthy 1,400 miles southeast of San Diego, is churning eastern Pacific seas offshore from the central coast of Mexico.  It’s moving northwest at about 13 m.p.h. but (sadly for some in newsrooms) is expected to weaken today. 

In the Atlantic, tropical storm Cindy, in the news for several days, poses no threat to land as it moves eastward in the north Atlantic, southeast of Newfoundland. 

Tropical storm Bret grows weaker as it heads northeast, away from the Bahamas.

Many print and broadcast news editors remain disappointed from last year.

Despite National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predictions that eight to 14 named Atlantic storms would reach hurricane force in 2010, not one made in to the U.S.

 

Joplin receives promises but scant rebuilding details

While the devastation by a massive tornado at Joplin is getting much coverage, little has been reported on aid --- financial and other --- from the Missouri city of 50,000, nine days after the twister struck and even after a Sunday visit by President Barack Obama, notes Grumpy Editor. 

About 8,000 homes and business are destroyed or damaged. 

Many soothing statements and promises from officials are reported, but much concrete information on getting Joplin back on track is missing.  Print and broadcast media should ask more questions starting with when and how.

Associated Press quotes President Obama, after touring the smashed area, vowing, “We’re not going to stop ‘til Joplin’s back on its feet.”  The New York Times reports Obama declaring, “The cameras may leave.  The spotlight may shift.  But we will be with you every step of the way until Joplin is restored.” 

Nice words.  But missing are details on a battleplan pointing the way on how Joplin gets back on its feet and is restored soonest. 

Closest to indicating financial help is a Wall Street Journal story last Thursday that mentions the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “opened a mobile disaster recovery center in Joplin on Wednesday to assist tornado-tossed residents with requests for federal aid.”

Unlike hefty grants or billions in foreign aid, however, is that filling out FEMA paper work may lead to low-interest loans up to $200,000 to homeowners for repair or replacement of property.

Not much is being said about assistance to Joplin businesses.

Other than St. John’s Hospital, badly damaged by the tornado, storm-hit businesses in the city get scant coverage.

Over the weekend, St. John’s --- in action reminiscent of M*A*S*H, the 1972-1983 CBS-TV series about Army medics in a field hospital during the Korean War --- set up a temporary medical facility close to its badly damaged 10-story building.

Other research by Grumpy Editor finds the twister closed:

• Three Wendy’s/Arby’s Group restaurants.
• Two Walgreens stores.
• A McDonald’s restaurant.
• A Wal-Mart store with a lost roof.
• Two Commerce Bank offices.
• A Home Depot store.

Meanwhile, a General Mills plant experienced minor damage.

On the prompt progress side, a destroyed hair salon structure is being rebuilt, framing already in place --- with work started before FEMA came on the scene.

 

With Joplin in wreckage, Obama seeks roots in Ireland

After a monster tornado sliced through Joplin, Mo. Sunday night, leaving three fourths of the city of 50,000 in rubble, thousands of those affected were eagerly awaiting word of prompt federal assistance, notes Grumpy Editor. 

As the Joplin death toll yesterday passed the 100 mark, President Barack Obama was monitoring the situation --- from the tiny village of Moneygall in Ireland where he sought information on family roots, part of a week-long tour of Europe. 

Only reference to possible federal aid to Joplin, 160 miles south of Kansas City, was found in an Associated Press story reporting the president said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was working with state and local agencies. 

But there were no reports Monday that FEMA, with more than 3,700 full-time employees, had promptly dispatched a team to the Joplin disaster site where the massive twister sliced a path a half-mile wide and six miles long, smacking homes, businesses, churches, schools and a 10-story hospital. 

However, FEMA released a news release yesterday that mentioned, “At the president's request, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate will travel to Missouri to ensure that the state has all the support it needs, and today FEMA Deputy Administrator Rich Serino will also travel to Joplin to tour the damages and meet with state and local officials.” 

Other killer twisters Sunday hit Kansas and Minnesota.

Today from London, Obama said he will visit Joplin on Sunday, one week after the massive tornado struck. 

 

Forced flooding in Louisiana seen spurring heated debate

With a large section of Louisiana under water after a spillway was intentionally opened --- affecting thousands of homes, businesses, pastures and farmland --- look for heating discussions soon on natural vs. man-made flooding, predicts Grumpy Editor.

That aspect has not yet crossed minds of major media editors.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, declaring “public safety is our No. 1 priority,” opened the Morganza (Louisiana) Spillway May 14, sending torrents of water --- at 125,000 cubic feet per second  --- flowing southward into the Atchafalaya River basin.

Engineers said the diversion was to forestall potentially catastrophic damage farther downstream.

Posted on the National Flood Insurance Program Web page:  “Floods are the No. 1 natural disaster in the United States.”

Some people with property now under water (especially those without flood insurance) in the days ahead will question the word “natural,” since the flow from Morganza was intentional.

Factors in flood risk, according to the government:  rainfall, river flow, tidal-surge data, topography, flood-control measures, and changes due to building and development.

No mention about forced release of water from a spillway.

Current flood damage already has revived a decades-old debate about  cost of rebuilding and compensating residents for the loss of homes and farms in high-risk areas. Some have been pushing for a harder look at regulations, saying initiatives like the National Flood Insurance Program need to be revised.