Local News Channels Versus Cable News Channels
The cable news channels cover stories about human traded which results in some citizens responding to the call for help. The coverage provided on the damage in Tuscaloosa caused by the horrible record-breaking storms brought hundreds of volunteers to the city, and these volunteers have made a significance difference in the recovery effort. Joplin, Missouri is another example where the numbers of volunteers have made a big difference in the rebuilding effort. Volunteers came from Chicago and Detroit because they saw the need on TV.
It isn-t just the labor that has made a difference, but many businesses have donated tons of building supplies and food, so that the rebuilding effort can continue with a speed that could not happen without the cable news publicity. The Washington politicians got a lot of visual images of the destruction that they would not have seen. This moved the politicos to take action.
Local radio news is valuable because it keeps the citizenry in touch with local issues, but rarely are the local issues as serious as those brought to our attention by cable news. It may not be fair to judge local news against cable news because of the disparity in resources.