They focused on feel-good/feel-bad human interest reports -- sad and/or upbeat -- to stoke empathy and spur donations, not on any analysis of who was running things and how well. Reference was made to "bottlenecks" caused by bad roads, not inadequate plans and inept management by military men with no experience in running disaster relief.
Journalist Glen Ford, who edits the Black Agenda Report, charges calculated malice, arguing their mission has always been more about control than care: "When the U.S. decided to airlift thousands of troops into Port au Prince, commanders knew the logistical needs of that force, alone, would overwhelm the airport's capacity, leaving little room for actual relief supplies. The Americans knew they would be creating a bottleneck that would become an impediment to relief efforts by the rest of the world. But they hogged the air and runways, anyway."
Meanwhile, Americans here were being told how grateful the Haitians were. President Obama cited aid recipients chanting "USA, USA," an event I did not see reported anywhere. Instead, the overseas press is filled with complaints about aid not reaching people in need.
Why didn't journalists consult with the people who know Haiti best and get their views on why this all went so badly and what to do? Some Haitians believe it was deliberate because driving the poor out of the capital is seen by the elite as key to remaking the country in its image.
Other stories might feature the cruise ships that still bring tourists to barbecues on a lovely beach even as the country writhes in pain. And what about more reporting on the deep inequality between a Haitian elite that lived in affluence while most of the population survived on $2 a day. Members of this elite began meeting daily the day after the quake to start planning reconstruction because, as a Haitian-American banker told me, "That's where the real money is."
The Boston Globe reported, "The gap in incomes in Haiti is even more pronounced in the aftermath of the earthquake. The wealthy have been able to send loved ones overseas, seek refuge in armed compounds powered by generators, and even order pizza and surf the Internet."
Already there have been calls to privatize Haiti's phone system, and restructure ports. Among the US companies being lined up for contracts reportedly are General Electric (GE), Caterpillar (CAT), Deere (DE), Fluor (FLR), and Jacobs Engineering (JEC).
Speaking of money, why not an investigation into the companies that make billions off the remittances that Haitians in the diaspora send to their families that couldn't survive without them.
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