Texas Newspaper Calls Out Media for Ignoring Flood Story

Give credit where credit is due: watching CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, the flood story and footage of all the devastation in Louisiana ran second In their newscast behind the Milwaukee situation and ahead of the rest of the news. Not bad considering this installment of Sunday Morning was their "design show"  which had previously been taped (and did feature Waco's own Fixer Upper couple of Chip and Joanna Gaines.  People who watch that show are not tuning in for rapid fire headlines or live, breaking news so Osgood and company are excused.)

As for the rest of the media, one of Texas' own newspapers  stepped forward today to call the rest of the industry out on missing the big story.

"The scope of the disaster that has hit our Pelican State neighbors is starting to sink in: 10,000 people in shelters; 20,000 rescued over three days; whole towns under water; hundreds of roads closed," wrote Dallas Morning News opinion columnist Jacquielynn Floyd. "And there's a sense — expressed through social media — that the rest of the nation isn't paying much attention."

Indeed, two of my own coworkers only noticed the devastation in passing on their televisions and in social media posts. Both of them expressed the same exasperation: Why is this story not receiving its due?  As one social media poster quoted in Ms. Floyd's column so exasperatingly put it, "Are they overlooking the significance of a city that's under water?" Sadly, it seems the news media decision makers have not grasped the significance of a large American city taking on thirty inches of rain over a weekend, and that water having no place to go.

Here's aerial footage someone took of my old neighborhood which is on a bluff and has never flooded in the 45 years the development has existed.

Ms. Floyd shared blog posts from her former Morning News colleague Rod Dreher. Rod lives in St. Francisville, which is north of town, and I knew him in college at LSU back in the day. He tells of he and his son volunteering at Celtic Studios in Baton Rouge,  A movie production facility that is suddenly a shelter for thousands. As Ms. Floyd so eloquently put it,  I challenge you to read Rod's post without feeling a tinge of sadness.

As for me, everything about this story is hitting home.  The Celtic Corporation was founded by a very close family friend, my own father has been part of that organization.  Scores of longtime friends work there. Sadly, there are people hunkered down there whom I have also known my whole life. My first radio gig was on that property.

My brain is on overload,  but unlike others I'm not even paying attention to the national media. Indeed, I'm getting all the information I need from local sources.

I do appreciate Ms. Floyd's sentiments, just as much as I do appreciate any help from the media in putting out the word that Baton Rouge needs help.  Here's probably the best way to help right now, by donating to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Anything you can do to help is appreciated.  As I wrote earlier, prayer works too.