Who Else Wonders Why Reporters Stay In Harms Way During A Hurricane?

Have You ever wondered why journalists stay behind reporting on hurricanes and storms while everyone else is evacuating out of harms way? I evacuated my Jersey Shore residence three blocks from the beach to stay safe, and I am basically glued to the TV watching the news, both for updates about where I am in Brooklyn, as well as what’s going on in Deal New Jersey where I live and run my marketing business out of. There are television journalists reporting locally, and I recall even during Irene there were reporters being blown around in the storm, yet working their jobs bringing us the news we want to follow.

Maybe I am cynical, but It makes me wonder if TV Journalists have slavemasters as bosses, and they hate when school is out, because that means work is in. New Media Outlets are just pandering to an audience and it’s all about the advertising dollars they bring in. They serve a crucially important function in society of both easing our boredom, and enlightening us to wonderful new products we wonder how we ever lived without. TV stations would be crazy not to capitalize on natural disasters…

Perhaps this is their big break to get real exposure considering everyone else is holed up indoors watching TV, and whatever drove them to want to be on the silver screen in the first place may be at play, Their Big Break to Get in front of the masses, get noticed and make their careers.

I guess it’s very possible that this is a much more noble mission of bringing crucial safety news to the masses, keeping us safe and informed in one of those times that mass media literally saves lives. Sure, first responders are lifesavers, but TV Journalists going into the heart of the storm, must be superheros, out saving lives by preventing tragedy, and making sure everyone sees just how dangerous the conditions can get.

Odds are, like all marketing and things that motivate action, it is a combination of all of the above. The altruistic nature of savings lives helps them justify the emotional need to feel important, and the wonderful networks demands to maximize on eyeballs competing for the hundreds of millions stuck at home. I guess that’s whats great about the world… All the stars align to keep the world moving.

Even Dan Kennedy when discussing what wealthy people will spend money on, insists that they need either an altruistic or logical justification for their splurging on luxuries, because they don’t want to be looked down upon and judged by the have nots. This doesn’t mean the altruistic motivations are not true, it just means that as Human Beings, we are creatures of emotion, and as Marketers, our job is to dig deep and truly understand where a person is coming from, how they feel and what is important to them.

Regardless, I tip my hat to the brave men and women Journalists, putting themselves in harms way to keep me safe. Thanks and Be Safe.