As weeks have passed, we’ve been able to see the global response to the eco-humanitarian crisis in Haiti in a post-katrina world. US media efforts to cover the crisis have left me with the impression that lessons were learned. In the immediate afternmath of Katrina, we saw an American media quickly adopt a racist response as dark skinned folks ‘looted’ and light skinned folks ’struggled valiantly to protect their families.’ After the waters abated, many were able to critique the narrative that guided the American response. Distinguished newscasters openly apologized, and attempted to revise that storyline. Whether that attempt to re-write their role in the events as they unfolded really matters is questionable.

My general impression (and I openly admit that I didn’t go searching for people writing to the Pat Robertson crowd) is that the media has done more things right than wrong. Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta have produced a narrative that seems honest, and accurate, finding plenty of drama for the American audience in the true human elements, without needing to spin one of fiction. The reporter as hero is a seems a natural evolution for American journalism. Cooper’s chiseled features rescuing children would smack of big budget hollywood but the danger seems real. I’m happier to see the story become Anderson Cooper in Haiti instead of a fictional account derived from helicopter footage.  Additionally, much of the reporting on the current affairs and condition of Haiti has been informative without trying to sell us on a myth of sad but ‘noble savages.’

We saw the beginning of gotcha journalism in the critique of Wyclef Jean and Yele Haiti’s finances, only to see the media quickly course correct itself after the issue was disproven.

NPR Correspondant Jason Beaubien’s emotional breakdown was one of the most compelling pieces of journalism that I’ve ever experienced. It is truly an example of kind of raw emotional honesty that can accompany today’s journalism  without corrupting it. (Imagine if Glen Beck’s tears, and Olbermann’s outrage were backed by an ounce of Beaubien’s honesty). [LINK]

Photo: Jonathan Torgovnik

James White

One of my favorite designers/visual artists, James White, is donating all the proceeds from his sales this week to the relief effort in Haiti. This is a great chance to pick up one of his pieces. This should be an example of how ordinary folks can continue to do their thing and make a positive impact.

Check out his site here: Signal Noise

Photo: Gerald Herbert / Associated Press

Take a few minutes to look through this photo essay presented by the Wall Street Journal. The photos express the scope and tragedy in a way that the newscasts do not.

See all the photos here: Link

Note the difference between these 2 web addresses: http://support.doctorswithoutborders.org & http://doctorswithoutborders.scamwebsite.org

Unicef
Doctors without Borders
Direct Relief
Oxfam
World Food Programme
International Medical Core
Yele Haiti
Mercy Corps
American Red Cross
Save the Children

The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity — our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country.

Read the whole release here: Link

By Paul Racette

Beyond raising money to help farmers, Farm Aid serves as an extensive resource network for farmers seeking to adopt more sustainable and profitable farming practices. This resource network in turn helps consumers who are increasingly demanding local, organic, sustainably-grown and humanely-raised food. Farm Aid knows that corporate farms are not able to provide these things, instead relying on production-boosting practices, chemicals and hormones.

Check out the Ask Hilde feature on their site. It’s a great example of how an organization can communicate with the general public in an effective manner. Each question addresses very complicated questions in a way that non-experts can understand.

That said, none of his work since Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius has really stuck with me. I enjoyed What is the What quite a lot, but I don’t see myself rereading it. Zeitoun, on the other hand, has been a constantly hanging out in the back of my brain since I started it.

The quick synopsis – Katrina hits New Orleans. Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a contractor sticks around to keep track of his properties. His wife and kids flee the area. Zeitoun, in an old fishing boat helps stranded New Orleanians, feeds stranded pets, and keeps track of his stranded friends. Things go down hill from here as Zeitoun is confronted by the relief effort.

Part 1 is a unique, and uplifting account of a group of people responding to the tragedy of Katrina. It’s easy to quickly fall in love with Zeitoun and his family. The Zeitouns are Muslim and the story is definitely one of the Muslim American experience. But Eggers is an adept storyteller and is able to present the Zeitouns with more than that singular dimension. I found myself smiling as I read about these people gracefully dealing with an extreme tradgedy. It’s uplifting without feeling trite.

The remainder of the book sees the Zeitoun family deal with the real tradgedy of Katrina, which unfortunately isn’t the aftermath of the storm but instead is the aftermath of our response. I will avoid too much detail because you should be as shocked as I was reading about what they had to endour. Suffice it to say the media didn’t scratch the surface of the bungled recovery effort. It would be comical if it wasn’t so disgusting.

Zeitoun = Double plus good.

They have also worked with UNESCO to establish a network of Ecotechnie programs at universities around the world—a field of study that integrates the environment with economics and technology. Their revolutionary underwater technology includes underwater habitats, submarines, and advanced imaging system. All of these have enabled expedition research to help both the scientific community and the public better understand our water planet.