Enough of the oil drenched pelicans, Natalie Holloway's killer has been found!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 7:29am

Watching he first half hour coverage of the news is an appalling reminder of the new journalism. TODAY gave 12 minutes to the oil spill, and then leaped into the lurid and not very compelling story of a cold case that symbolizes the media's priorities.

I probably need to fully own my denial. After a while, it's not about how the President articulates his rage, or the Hayward's accute insensitivity. I cannot shake the images I've seen in the past 24 hours, of a single pelican, alone, past the point of human intervention, bewildered as only a helpless animal can be, staring us down with two still clear but dying eyes. Or a dead bird on its back in the mucked up surf, its oil-clotted feet against a pristine, cloudless blue sky. Personally I feel sad and helpless. As I should.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 9:01am

You're right Auggie. Heartbreaking is not strong enough a word to use for the images I saw on the news last night. I felt the same way you did...and couldn't sleep.

But it enraged me when the news switched to Natalie Holloway. With the BP oil spill, the crisis in North Korea, what's going on in Israel, and the fact that I read about someone being shot right near my own street almost everyday how the hell is this news??

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 9:18am

It's a Natalee! NataLEE! Nancy Gracy will have your head on a platter for this mistake!

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 9:19am

This is an example of how far right the media has moved. The right's response to the oil disaster is a shrug. They're dismissing it, renewing their 'drill, baby, drill' theme and categorizing this as a natural event.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 9:51am

The fact that BP has been able to control the story, and limit access to the true images of devastation speaks volumes.

I saw some of the pictures yesterday of dead and oil covered animals, and was horrified. It is much worse than being reported/presented, and we are not getting the whole picture.

The only natural thing about this mess is powerful people trying to hide blame and shift responsibility to others.

BP should be prosecuted for criminal negligence for the 11 who died, the untold consequences to the environment and our ecosystem, and for the blatant disregard for safety.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 9:59am

NOAA has released a projection of how far the Oil Spill could travel if it enters the loop current. It looks like the east coast should be bracing for a summer of oil.
NOAA projection has oil spreading past Cape Hatteras.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 10:40am

How odd. I've been watching coverage of the oil spill daily for weeks now. I've seen repeated images of suffering animals, the work being performed, the oil gushing from the pipe, the aerial views of the spreading crisis. I haven't seen any signs of the media trying to avoid coverage or shrug it off. It's depressing, frustrating and fills me with anger and anxiety, which is precisely how I should feel. But I don't see any reason why they should ignore other news that is also happening in the world. If I felt that there has been little to no coverage or updates on the oil spill, that would be one thing, but I've seen coverage every single day on the news, on the internet, even on the elevator.

The Van der Sloop case is a pretty big deal. They have been trying to pin this guy down for years. It is a very compelling and unusual case, especially since Holloway has never been found and they finally catch the guy in connection with a different murder case. And the recent murder, search and capture just happened. I haven't seen any terrible injustice or right-wing agenda in addressing a huge break in a 5-year international investigation of an open murder case that has eluded police and prosecutors with no body and no forensic evidence and a string of ever-changing stories and false confessions.

But I do agree that BP's response has been reprehensible and Palin in particular is freaking out of her mind.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 11:07am

BP has been actively trying to limit access and information. Whether it is rounding up those who survived the initial blast and making them sign NDAs, claiming cleanup crews are suffering from food poisoning when they started to become ill (when not provided proper equipment to clean up the mess), underestimating the scope of the leak to limit their liability, shipping in clean-up workers for a photo op with Obama, not letting journalists on site to view the actual damage (or threatening them with arrests), or making those involved in the cleanup sign NDAs.

BP has been far from forthcoming in the process and has generally been controlling the information out there (with a couple of exceptions) with the "Oil Spill Police". The Obama Administration has allowed this.

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/06/02/bp-oil-animals-death/




Oil Spill Police.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 11:25am

I guess my problem is why is it news at all? People get murdered in this country and abroad every day and their killers aren't found. Why is this news? Would it be news if she wasn't a pretty blond girl? Probably not.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 11:33am

To be fair, the Today show is not really a news show. It's more of an entertainment show.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 11:36am

Maybe Natalee's oil soaked body will wash up, tying everything together nicely.

[Piper3500]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 11:48am

He has been on News programs though abroad and on Greta, etc

"I guess my problem is why is it news at all? People get murdered in this country and abroad every day and their killers aren't found. Why is this news? Would it be news if she wasn't a pretty blond girl? Probably not. "

Same reason Jon Benet will always be news. Mystery. also, this Van der Sloot fella is a psycho. i agree about the blonde, white thing though. they are trying to make that better. the story is more about van der sloot now, and that he murdered a chilean woman. (makes me wonder how many others)

and......he was caught extorting money from someone in the amount of $250,000 to give the info to where natalee's body is. guess who? it was natalee's mom. so, they may get him on extortion and not murder, like other cases where murderers go free and get caught on something money related. but, he won't be extradited i don't think. murder trumps extortion.

There has been a book written by a Dutch investigator and interviews done with Joran. He is a sociopath

Updated On: 6/4/10 at 11:48 AM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 12:13pm

Corrupt, incompetent environmental disasters and the soul-deadening lack of effectiveness in dealing with the issue is soooo not sexy.

On with the stirring SVU mythos of pretty girls getting murdered! H-o-t!

Or as that country club bimbo Babs Walters always says on The View when someone dares question that a "topic" is beneath discussion, "Thiss is what people are taaalking aboout".

Updated On: 6/4/10 at 12:13 PM

[Piper3500]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 12:16pm

"Or as that bimbo Babs Walters"

I know it can appear that way sometimes, and her well known "if you were a tree..." question will haunt her, but seriously, she is NOT a bimbo. I find her career very interesting. She's a lady who knows a lot.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 12:22pm

I don't want to turn this into a Barbara Walters thread, but she is CONSTANTLY dumbing herself down for the sake of better T.V. Kind of like the whole of TV journalism in general.

[James885]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 12:27pm

Would it be news if she wasn't a pretty blond girl? Probably not.

You've hit the nail on the head. My local half-hour, late night news devoted almost 10 minutes to this topic the other night, and covered the oil spill in about 2 minutes. Never mind the fact that people are getting shot or stabbed or raped on an almost daily basis in DC and Baltimore.

Updated On: 6/4/10 at 12:27 PM

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 12:34pm

One question/speculation: It seems whenever someone criticizes Israel, someone is always there to scream anti-Semitism. Do you think that's the reason why American journalism has been playing down Israel's recent vomitous behavior? Or does it just have too much on its plate?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 1:04pm

On with the stirring SVU mythos of pretty girls getting murdered! H-o-t!

Would it be news if she wasn't a pretty blond girl? Probably not.

Uh...that's not all there is to the case. It's an open 5-year international investigation involving at least two possible murders in two different countries with one American victim who has never been found. The bizarre details of the lengthy investigation is what made it a big news item. It isn't just the US that has considered this a big story.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 1:11pm

If you're looking for actual journalism regarding the oil disaster, I highly recommend Rachel Maddow. She's been in Louisiana this week, doing in depth reporting. For example, she's done a report on how the oil is devestating the wetlands, which are a natural barrier to tidal surges during hurricanes. In other words, this will leave the gulf coast even less protected from major hurricanes.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 1:32pm

If anything it belongs on Nancy Grace or a Dateline mystery.

[Piper3500]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 1:36pm

"I don't want to turn this into a Barbara Walters thread, but she is CONSTANTLY dumbing herself down for the sake of better T.V. Kind of like the whole of TV journalism in general."

me neither and NOW yes I see it, but she has been around a long time and didn't get where she was by being a bimbo. now, Elisabth, sure. :)

"Uh...that's not all there is to the case. It's an open 5-year international investigation involving at least two possible murders in two different countries with one American victim who has never been found. The bizarre details of the lengthy investigation is what made it a big news item. It isn't just the US that has considered this a big story. "

not to mention the latest extortion charge. (involving her mother) i agree with you as stated above a few, but...when natalee was first seen on the news it dominated for a long long time. without joran being known. when she didn't come back from Aruba it hit the news immediately. now it has grown due to the other facts surrounding Joran.

[twinbelters]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 3:46pm

It's good to see that some people are addressing the reality of the consequences of this massive environmental disaster. I feel sick about and everyone around me seems to be in denial. Sooo stressed out. Group hug?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 4:12pm

If it was my home

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/4/10 at 6:33pm

I'm so pissed off about the entire thing I can hardly talk without getting so mad I want to kick someone in the taco.

^^^^^^^^
Thanks for that PRS. It brings it home, so to speak.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/5/10 at 11:04am

I'm not arguing that the coverage is missing, or that the story hasn't been front page. It's the way it's weighted, now, and the way it's been continually spun to politicize -- "Obama's Katrina" -- instead of focusing on the core issues that transcend politics. As though this degree of catastrophy requires slant. I think the new footage (some on today) of the fouled animals says more than any hour of punditry, so in a sense I'm contradicting myself. We cannot see these photos/footage enough. It is the story.

I disagree, however, that this creepy man's arrest is "big." Three days ago, we had story vying for center stage with the reality producer/homeless hitman story, and yet another infantacide (which I quickly turn off.) Police blotter always makes good TV, as it sold papers ("Headless Torso Found in Topless Car.") But the Gulf of Mexico being polluted minute by minute, to the point of conjecture about its reaching the East Coast and beyond, is a story unlike any in my memory. In The Valdez was a finite amount of oil, after all. The closest is probably Chernobyl.

Updated On: 6/5/10 at 11:04 AM