This Just In...

Reporting From Haiti: How New Media Helped Deliver the Story

On Thursday, April 1^st, Atlanta Press Club members gathered at the Buckhead Ruth’s Chris Steak House for part of the Evening Enrichment Series entitled, “Reporting From Haiti: How New Media Helped Deliver the Story.”  Four panelists, all Atlanta-area journalists, shared their own personal experiences of reporting on the aftermath of the catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010.

Moderated by Patrick Solomon, Senior Vice President for Global Support Services for CARE, the meeting began with a recollection of events from each journalist, representing CNN, Fox, and Reuters.

Meredith Artley, Vice President and Managing Editor of CNN.com, remained in Atlanta after the earthquake hit.  However, her experience in the newsroom proved to be quite intense as a whirlwind of information poured in from CNN reporters in the field.  Artley recalled that within about 48 hours after the quake struck, nearly 50 CNN reporters and crew were already on the ground.

With regards to new media, Artley spoke of hundreds of videos and photographs making their way to the newsroom not only from CNN crews, but also from the iReports of people in Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic.  In addition, she said they were also getting information from social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.  One of the perks of new media in situations like the Haiti earthquake is that it was much easier for people to donate money for victims by texting different charity organizations via cell phone, Artley said.

Jonathan Serrie, a local reporter for Fox News, and his photographer, Tom Jachman, were both embedded with members of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.  In their case, new media proved to be a bit tough as they kept losing signals on their phones.  As it turns out, Serrie admitted, blogging and tweeting are not so easy to do aboard a naval ship and while flying in helicopters.

Matthew Bigg, a reporter with Reuters, did three tours, 10 days each, in Haiti.  Despite being right in the heart of the worst destruction in Port-au-Prince and seeing mass graves and bodies everywhere, he said the spirit and valor of the people of Haiti are what most resonated with him.  Bigg spoke of feeling fortunate to be a journalist in that situation, and being able to get the story from both above the line people in the government as well as people on the street. 

All four journalists agreed that new media has changed the way reporters cover natural disasters, and how viewers get their information.  They acknowledged that today’s 24- hour news cycle is much different than it was in 2004 when news reporters were covering Hurricane Katrina.  For the most part, it seems  the Internet, iReporters, social networking sites, and Blackberry’s have truly paved the way for insightful, honest, raw reporting.   

Written for APC Blog by

Caren Sachs, APC member