PrintMay 22, 2013
The Oklahoma Tornadoes and the Pornography of Death
As a native of Oklahoma City, I have been following news coverage of the recent tornado damage with much interest. The loss of life and property damage in Moore, Oklahoma, and other areas has been horrific, and as Oklahoma's governor, Mary Fallin, stated, the region is very much in need of our prayers.
The Moore tornado was indeed a newsworthy event. At last count, it has resulted in the loss of 24 lives and over $2 billion in property damage. It was especially heartrending in that Monday's storm was the second major tornado to strike Moore in the past 15 years. The residents of Moore, and of the entire region, deserve respectful, accurate, and balanced reporting. What they have received, I believe, is not always that.
When the national television networks first interrupted broadcast shows for special reports on Monday afternoon (May 20), they had already begun to describe the storm as "historic" and "catastrophic." Granted that information was...(Read Full Article)
