why are reporters so stupid when reporting storms?

[don954]

On the ABC news channel, they have some stupid reporter standing <I>in the STORM SURGE</I> about 500' from the normal shore.

[Liberal In Texas]

1. Ratings. The consultants call it "reporter involvement" they think the

public eats it up.

[Speck Tater]

2. THAT's entertainment. It's all about ratings.

The reporters have to be dare-devils to engage the audience which would otherwise fall asleep from boredom. That's what TV has done to the human race.

[daninthemoon]

3. I agree, they never look dumber. Look...wind. We get it, you're macho.

[Robertwf]

4. What about the Guy Crouching by the Garbage Can?

Somehow it detracts from the gravity of some of these situations when you see news folk out there hiding behind garbage cans in 100 mph wind, pointing out how the building they are standing by is getting torn appart bit by bit by mother nature's temper tantrum and all the rest of those bad scenes, as some hapless editor checks her email and sends out for sushi.

[don954]

8. oh god, they just had a "suffer dude" who's board was broken by

the too strong waves...! These people need some brains!!

[faithnotgreed]

9. good summary robertwf

[doc03]

5. There is an upside to the hurricanes, they will talk about

something other than missing blond teenagers for a while. Enjoy the break.

[jobycom]

7. Yeah, they'll actually have to talk about

hundreds of missing poor people for a change.

Here's hoping Rita disappoints them all.

[jobycom]

6. What, you want them to act smarter than they do at all other times?

My favorite moment of Katrina reporting was watching Aaron Brown show highlight clips of storm coverage, of reporters being blown around and battered by debris, and describing their destroyed vehicles. After the segment he concluded that the clips were proof that they didn't screen reporters for common sense.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. What do storms have to do with it?

[SeattleGirl]

11. I think that some of these reporters are thrill junkies

and LOVE doing this kind of thing.

[jayctravis]

12. CNN had a guy holding up a live horseshoe crab in the gale.

And he just flung it down...I'm like AT LEAST PUT HIM RIGHT SIDE UP!

[Maru Kitteh]

13. Abject pointless cruelty for what?

These types of people mystify me.