I watched tv news last night and omg, I see the problem. I apologize

[uppityperson]

I rarely watch tv news as I get tired of the OMGness of selling ad time, which seems to be the primary purpose of most tv news shows.

I read papers, read online, listen to radio. I took the plunge last night and watched ABC NBC CBS FOX couple other stations and oh my god. I'm gonna die. We're all gonna die. Soon. When in trouble, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout! Tune back in at 11 for UPDATES! Scary music and fancy logo.

JC on a trailer hitch. No wonder posters here are tired of people like me and others who are fascinatedly watching the H1N1 (hiney) flu progress and the reaction to it.

I apologize if my focusing on this is getting tiring for you. I am a health care provider and have been fascinated watching the Public Health reaction to this pandemic, understanding that it probably (hopefully and so far it looks like) won't we very deadly, but still is spreading rapidly. Watching them monitor who has it, trying to trace back the route, has been very very interesting.

I understood yesterday that many were getting tired of the coverage here, so started trying to put all the threads together in one, both to clear out room and to have them where I could find them more easily. I had the day off work so could do that. I'm headed out in a bit, but will try to continue it for a while.

In the meantime, if anyone wants to post updates, I'd be pleased to have them stuck together in either the new H1N1 Flu Updates thread I'll start for today, since the old one is 150+. Or start your own, but since I like to see what's going on where, if you want to add them there also, I'd appreciate it.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5568345&mesg_id=5568345

And, Wash your hands, Don't touch your eyes or nose unless you've washed your hands, Turn off TV news.

Tata

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. One observation

I turned on CNN

Vomit inducing

FOX ooohhh boy

Local

Don't get me started

Now MSNBC is doing a facts approach and of course there is BBC

Depends who, sadly

[hedgehog]

3. It would be nice to know that at least one news anchor

had ever read even a magazine article about this, let alone an entire *****BOOK****!

I had fun watching NBC News the other night as Brian Williams would say something, and the doctor they had on would contradict him.

[gkhouston]

5. Rachel Maddow would probably be your best bet. Not that she's going to know

the medical stuff, but she's excellent at not diving for the lowest common denominator, unlike far too many other media types. I noticed this particularly with the Somali pirate story.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Yep she's particularly good

but in general MSNBC, not Brian Williams and NBC, but MSNBC has been doing a fairly good job of sticking to facts and asking medical experts

Hell they have been asking resident doctor to interpret CDC presser for them, not that their resident doctor is a specialist in epidemic disease but at least he's a better filter than others

Now they have their moments, like when Buchannan accused WHO of trying to create a panic...

<------ laughing at Buchannan

[glitch]

2. couldn't resist

[gkhouston]

4. What's stunning to me is when I see clips from Fox News on Countdown

or The Rachel Maddow Show or The Daily Show. Damn, but they are batshit crazy over at Fox. And is it just me or do most of the Fox anchors look like they've been slurping toxic waste or are missing a couple of chromosomes or something?

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. They are going for a look

[gkhouston]

8. What "look" are they going for -- "mutants of the future"? n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Turn the volume off, and watch for two hours

women tend to be tall, lanky and well endowed

Men tend to be thin, and lanky, and tall

It is actually striking

Except for some of their stars, they are going for the news bunny look

Some of my local channels are going for the same look in awe of FOX

And the local fox affiliate is all full of it

They also have a higher than normal presence of blondes among their women news bunnies

What useless shit on media analysis one learns from a university class, fun though

[OneGrassRoot]

10. LMAO!

:spray: :rofl:

Thanks for that. ;)

[OneGrassRoot]

11. I've been trying to put an observation into words all morning...

I have seen the news and thus, yes, the rather over-the-top reaction (sans concrete information at the time) was enough to send most of us running in the other direction. Been there, done that.

I don't think most were diminishing potential health threats, likelihood of severe pandemics one day, etc., etc., rather reacting to the oversaturation of overly dramatic coverage.

BUT, what I realized this morning is that some posters weren't necessarily completely focused on the potential health-related implications of this situation, but the very things we're seeing occur now: how schools are being closed, which affects families tremendously; localized runs on grocery stores; healthcare facilities being inundated with people fearing they have "it", and so on.

I see that some were trying to make us aware, not that the sky is falling, but that based on how they were observing the progression of the swine flu, WHO's reaction, as well as local and federal government reactions, we were likely to start seeing things that would disrupt our daily lives EVEN IF THE ACTUAL HEALTH THREAT DIDN'T SEEM SEVERE. The reaction to the fluid situation is what we need to be aware of, as these official responses can indeed affect our daily lives.

I'm not overly concerned about the flu itself; cautiously aware, as with most things. But it is fascinating to watch the REACTIONS around me at various levels, and those reactions do potentially affect me, so THAT is why I'm watching things: to try to get a jump on what others may find out later on local news and how that might affect my work, my child's school schedule, upcoming travel plans, etc.

Similar to watching a hurricane several days away that has an erratic path and uncertain intensity level, and which may indeed fizzle out completely before making landfall: I'd make sure I had supplies and would look at how it may affect my schedule and how I could alter that schedule if need be.

[uppityperson]

16. Indeed, the reaction to it all gets very personal. Good post.

[mike_c]

12. I have the same problem-- natural interest due to my profession...

...but like you, I NEVER watch television-- haven't owned one in decades-- so I don't hear the shrill and badly informed media kicking the dead horses ad nauseum.

[Mojorabbit]

13. I am following it online

via medical blogs and watched for the first time last night and was amazed at the hype too.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. And just now we had an example of MY FRACKING GOD... you ignorant tweet

the family members of the Dept of Energy workers were tested for Type A influenza

Of course news bunny at CNBC goes they have it

NO you stupid tweet (an example of how news is made) they don't have it until they are declared such by the good folks at CDC

Now you can bet THEIR samples have been rushed... but until CDC says such they are just probable

:banghead:

Wanna bet this will be the NEWS headline?

Now to give credit where credit is due... if I didn't know 1% of what I know, I'd probably interpret what Gibss said that way too

Oh good, they have corrected themselves

[kestrel91316]

15. I don't get my flu, or any other infectious disease, info from TV. I don't

consider broadcast journalists qualified to interpret CDC and WHO press releases and statements, lol.

I get my info straight from the official horses' mouths: CDC, WHO, LACo Public Health, CADPH. I got sick of hearing, for the thousandth time, a breathless question from some bimbo about getting flu from pork, and being answered by another bimbo who somehow managed to keep a straight face.