The Blackout of '03....
First let me state that I do have great empathy for the people in the Northeast United States, and those in Canada for the loss of their electric power. It's a major inconvenience and can cause some serious problems. Secondly, I have NO empathy for the major media based in the Northeast. By the tone of the reporting you would have thought that this was the prelude to the end of the earth. Funny, that tone always appears when some major news story is breaking in their own backyard.
If this had happened in Texas, the ABC Nightly News story would have said, "Power out in Texas.....they know how to handle the heat.......now for our story on how drug prices affect homeless teenagers". Or in California...."California without power, they deserve it.....stand by for our interview with Gary Coleman". But when it happens to the media guys in the East, they preempt all other news and have roving reporters in the streets interviewing the common man for his indignant reaction. Problem is...no one seemed indignant, they just wanted to get home. The appearance was that every one was orderly and going about their business, and that this didn't suit the reporters. I almost expected them to shout, "New Yorkers, you have no power....run for your lives".
They did, however, manage to dredge up some indignant politicians who all said "I told you this would happen, now maybe my new power transmision bill will pass.....yadda, yadda". The probem is they didn't have a clue that this could happen, and further nothing will now happen. The reporters were searching for some sort of mass chaos story and they didn't get it and the tone of Ted Koppel's serious disaster voice made me think he was going to cry. Come on Ted, buck up, it'll be over soon.
For more fun comments read James Lileks. And I'm glad the lights are coming back on, but if they'd just pay their electric bills........
Additional photo and coverage can be found at Blackout 2003
First let me state that I do have great empathy for the people in the Northeast United States, and those in Canada for the loss of their electric power. It's a major inconvenience and can cause some serious problems. Secondly, I have NO empathy for the major media based in the Northeast. By the tone of the reporting you would have thought that this was the prelude to the end of the earth. Funny, that tone always appears when some major news story is breaking in their own backyard.
If this had happened in Texas, the ABC Nightly News story would have said, "Power out in Texas.....they know how to handle the heat.......now for our story on how drug prices affect homeless teenagers". Or in California...."California without power, they deserve it.....stand by for our interview with Gary Coleman". But when it happens to the media guys in the East, they preempt all other news and have roving reporters in the streets interviewing the common man for his indignant reaction. Problem is...no one seemed indignant, they just wanted to get home. The appearance was that every one was orderly and going about their business, and that this didn't suit the reporters. I almost expected them to shout, "New Yorkers, you have no power....run for your lives".
They did, however, manage to dredge up some indignant politicians who all said "I told you this would happen, now maybe my new power transmision bill will pass.....yadda, yadda". The probem is they didn't have a clue that this could happen, and further nothing will now happen. The reporters were searching for some sort of mass chaos story and they didn't get it and the tone of Ted Koppel's serious disaster voice made me think he was going to cry. Come on Ted, buck up, it'll be over soon.
For more fun comments read James Lileks. And I'm glad the lights are coming back on, but if they'd just pay their electric bills........
Additional photo and coverage can be found at Blackout 2003
