The fires raging through Southern California continue to horrify. Those of us who are nowhere near the flames can only watch and mutter inadequate words. I have a number of friends who I think have lost their homes…or are probably waiting somewhere in a motel to find out if they have.
I keep getting e-mails asking me if people in the comic book community are okay. I know of one person involved with the Comic-Con International whose home is gone, and a couple of creators who are nervously watching the news or perhaps being evacuated. Whether those people would want their names mentioned here, I don't know so I won't. They don't need any more problems right now.
The news coverage is uneven, as I guess it always is in situations like this. Years ago, I heard a TV News Exec say that in covering catastrophes, there were four categories of stories — and I hope I remember them correctly. They were Service, Strategy, Superheroes and Suffering. Service refers to the plain, important facts that the public needs to know…in this case, where the fire is, what is likely to happen, where to go for help, how to help, etc. Strategy is the nuts 'n' bolts of how the responders are responding…in a situation like this, explaining about water drops and backfires and such. Superheroes would be the human (or superhuman) side of the responders, focusing on their challenge and how they're meeting it, and Suffering would be all the shots of homes burning.
I understand how the Suffering part is the most dramatic footage and also the easiest to present, so we get an excess of that. At times though, it feels like someone thinks we're tuning in to enjoy watching lives being destroyed. In the new era of split-screen news coverage, when they like to put little boxes on the screen, some channels seem to think one must always contain flames, even if it means endlessly repeating the same tape. Couldn't that space on my screen be used for a little more Service and Strategy?
And couldn't we have less of one other "S" word, Stroking? Right now on KNBC, we have a lot of politicians commending the fire fighters and each other on the fine job they're doing. That job seems to consist of getting in front of news cameras and commending the fire fighters and each other for the fine job they're doing. My city councilman is standing next to Governor Schwarzenegger, waiting (I guess) for his chance to get to the press microphone and add his commendations for the fire fighters and each other for the fine job they're doing. He probably thinks this will cause his constitutents to note that he's on the job and contributing. I think I'll drop him a letter and tell him it makes me think he's not.