http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=3998We came away with differing assessments of how the television media had handled the revision. Meeks and Perlstein felt Zahn, in the live interview, had tried to pile the entirety of the blame at the foot of the New Orleans mayor and police chief, fully exonerating the media and street-level sources.
Zahn started the interview by asking Perlstein: "So, Michael, how is it that the mayor got all of this wrong?"
Perlstein didn't bite, explaining that the mayor – along with much of the media – had gotten somewhat understandably engulfed in the hysteria that spread like wildfire through a city with a devastated communications apparatus. "I think that the mayor was caught up in the same thing that a lot of people were caught up, reporters, officials and everyone else here included, and that there was a communications blackout," Perlstein said. "He was getting reports from pretty credible sources. But, by then, it had been passed along four or five different times, the story exaggerated each time along the way."
Zahn didn't appear interested in spreading the blame.
Zahn: "So, Michael in the end, what do you think is the most egregious exaggeration the mayor made?" she asked.
Can I use the "B" word here? Just for Paula. Can I, please?
eta: I'm still reading this. Wow, this piece is incredible. It covers the snowballing myths behind the Katrina reporting, the hubris and self-serving complicity of the media...wow. RECOMMENDED.
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