PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

There have been many strange and wonderful things coming from the horrible tragedy in Haiti. I am certain that many reporters and anchors are telling themselves, despite the horror, that a “story” like this one is why they became reporters in the first place. This is a little lie. No one ever knew that something this bad would happen in our lifetimes and if you became a reporter to wait for such scenes of human suffering and loss, well, I don’t know what to say.

Instead of gloating, the best thought for the reporters, many of whom are doing a wonderful job, is that they should be glad they became skilled and accepted as journalists in order to do this important task. The ability to find and share the human side of the story is very important, because it powers up rescue and relief efforts and allows public expenditures. I am looking forward to talking to Harry Smith of CBS News, because I think this experience probably has changed him forever.

One of the strangest, and great, things to come from this mess is the fact that some people who were trapped in the rubble were able to send text messages that they were alive and needed rescue. Amazing. Let’s here it for Digicel, which managed to get some cell service within a couple of days of the earthquake.

Most people think of cell phones as just a consumer, civilian item that are not really that important in an emergency. You know, calling 9-11 after having stayed behind in a hurricane evac and saying, “Please, come rescue me,” when it is already too late. Disasters like this one, and Katrina, are showing that cell phones are very important emergency communications devices that need to be kept running, or restored, ASAP.

Doug Terry, 10:26 AM (EDT) 1.22.10

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