In defense of TV storm reporters

Slate

TV news coverage of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma has generated debate over whether the tradition of reporters standing outside in harm’s way should be put to a halt. But as Will Oremus argues, these reporters are of utmost importance. “In a time of fake news, when every disaster brings a fusillade of doctored and misleading viral photos, bringing viewers directly to the scene in the person of a trusted anchor has more value than ever,” he says, adding: “The truth is that putting reporters on camera in the teeth of a hurricane makes for compelling TV. It takes a massive impersonal event and gives it a human protagonist to whom the viewer can relate. And no matter how much the reporter assures us that he or she is safe, the standup carries a soupcon of suspense and vicarious danger that no panel of talking heads in a newsroom can match.”