Hurricane Rita – Reminding us all to live in the moment

Katrina may have provided a lesson, and if you are in the Keys, I hope you have evacuated. Gulf Coast be ready – its always best to hesitate before proliferating panic…. but then I saw this ever-threatening satellite shot from NASA. Rita is forecast to travel west from the keys and into the Gulf of Mexico, now even more cooking than when Katrina passed through.

Reuters reports that another major storm in the Gulf would devastate U.S. energy and oil supplies.

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin has wisely declared New Orleans uninhabitable as even a glancing blow from this storm would flood the debilitated city once again.

Hurricane Rita Sept 20

Media vows Persistence on Katrina related and inspired news coverage

Shepard SmithAnderson CooperBrian Williams

Along with Anderson Cooper and Shepard Smith, Brian Williams has been leading the charge of reporters and anchors reassessing their obligations and priorities as journalists in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Williams has been keeping a detailed daily blog on the production of his Nightly News since before Katrina struck and in the wake of the Hurricane it has become a must read.

There continue to be cries of grandstanding, Geraldo quasi-heroics and more (see this report in Accuracy in the Media), however, many journalists have been expressing a sincere commitment to stick to the story and those that derive from it, as Matea Gold writes in today’s LA Times.

This week CNN, NBC and other networks have announced plans to open New Orleans bureaus to stay close to the story, and Williams hopes to meet with network execs to plan future stories on related issues including, race, poverty, the environment, and Iraq.

Nikki Finke declares that the media moguls have already brought Katrina coverage back to “post 9/11 caution,” in this week’s LA Weekly.

The Media on Iraq, Katrina / Iraq Polls

The last two days have been horrifying in Iraq with rampant suicide bombings and hundreds killed. The media appeared to be back on the attack, but, how can they let this unpopular war continue when it is only enabling MORE terror instead of defeating it? Ariana Huffington gripes.

According to an AP release: WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. military is mounting a counteroffensive in a war of words with Iraq’s insurgents, firing off accusations of child murder, kidnapping, torture, brainwashing and plans to use chemical weapons

Today in Media Matters, Bush wondered aloud if the U.S. is capable of handling another terrorist attack, but the Washington Post failed to print it.

The majority of the public would like to see Iraq funding cut to support the Katrina victims, notes a Wall Street Journal poll.

73% say rebuilding New Orleans is more important than cutting taxes.