United Nations officials in Haiti and other observers say the foreign media is sensationalizing the earthquake aftermath to boost ratings, exaggerating looting reports while underreporting the relief efforts and the millions of Haitians who've remained calm. Critics also single out "TV news personalities," such as CNN's Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, alleging that they've thrust themselves into the story, participating in rescues and caring for the injured, to ensure more exciting coverage. Is the media covering the disaster responsibly, or exploiting it?
CNN's wall-to-wall coverage is pornographic: Even though Haiti's impoverished majority have battled hunger and deprivation for decades, says journalist Marc Cooper in his blog, CNN didn't think "the daily pre-earthquake deaths" and starvation were newsworthy. Now, it is making sure the world sees that its correspondents holding the Haitian people's hands, and overhyping the chaos. This isn't journalism. It's "disaster porn."
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