…In a country where much of the shelter has been destroyed, leaving tens of thousands of people wandering the streets, housing journalists poses a real opportunity cost. Worse, the journalists must eat, drink, and circulate once they’re in Haiti. As a practical matter, it means they often end up mooching off supplies intended for earthquake victims (one MSNBC correspondent was overjoyed to receive a 10-gallon donation of fuel from the U.S. Army). Or they drive up the price of goods available for disaster-stricken Haitians. This Boston Globe piece reports that the cost of flashlights, batteries, crackers, soda, and water has soared since the earthquake. Even if they aren’t the main culprit, it’s hard to believe journalists, with their U.S.-based expense accounts, aren’t contributing to the problem by outbidding locals, whether directly or indirectly…
Read more HERE at The New Republic.
Good article James. I can count over 30 NYC photographers from tabloids (NY Post and Daily News) to broadsheets (NYT, WSJ) who are in Haiti now. Multiply that by the number of big cities in the US and then around the world. I did not go to New Orleans when Katrina hit the city. I waited 3 months and went there during Thanksgiving. I encountered only 1-2 fellow photographers covering a story that was not done yet, even today. I feel these folks will leave Haiti soon….and we will forget about Haiti’s troubles again.