It’s safe to say that each of us know what a hurricane is. What is not safe is the reporters standing in the middle of them telling me how bad it is.
Yes we know it’s windy, yes we know you’re borderline drowning in all of the rain but please go inside or evacuate like the rest of the sane people. I have no desire to witness you getting blown off a dock and being lost to the ocean.
So why are these reporters risking their lives? Has the dog-eat-dog world of broadcast journalism caused this irresponsible behavior because everyone is fighting to get the best story? But to what end?
The way to make headlines isn’t getting seriously injured while trying to report. The reporters standing in the middle of a flood up to their knees need to understand that it’s not worth it.
But who is really to blame? Reporters, producers, or the public? Maybe we are all to blame. The reporters because of their willingness to put themselves in potentially dangerous situations. The producers for demanding high risk stories. The public because of our desire to know exactly what is going on 24/7.
The same goes for reporters in inner cities. Odds are they aren’t too comfortable going around with their microphone and camera asking people about drugs, gangs, and violence but it’s in the job description. Or is it? By definition a reporter is “a person who reports, especially one employed to report news or conduct interviews for newspapers or broadcasts.” There is nothing about unnecessary danger and potential crisis.
Journalism is such an interesting career because of its’ uniqueness. There are strange hours, odd stories, and going into work having no idea what you will do that day. The people that pursue  journalism for the uncertainty and unbelievable opportunities quickly realize what the job entails. These reporters didn’t sign up to be in the middle of a hurricane but are desperate. It’s not the reporter’s fault the people absolutely must know about a storm that will not even reach their homes.
The effects of recent hurricanes has been tremendous, however, there was no reason those reporters had to be in the middle of them in the first place. The only ones who have any place anywhere near the disaster are the first responders, who should not have to worry about saving helpless reporters sent into harm’s way by networks looking for breaking news.