Dr. Chad Shafer sums up my general feelings regarding particular aspects of severe weather media coverage:
I mourn for the victims of the Moore tornado, but I mourn too for the apparent loss of at least some of our collective humanity…
Shafer references a specific interview of a young tornado victim. I do see the value in broadcasting the names and faces of children who are separated from their parents. However, I felt the scope of the interview went beyond useful dissemination of information and into tone-deaf dissociation. I don’t mean to unduly judge journalists - that was a tough situation. I just wish we would stop treating our neighbors like props in a reality show and instead respect their human dignity.