Responding to Contemporary Events in an Era of Instant Gratification

Abstract

NBC Anchor Brian Williams appears, his healthy tan and perfectly coiffured hair a stark contrast to the collapsed roof of the building in the background of his broadcast. He looks into the camera:

People are dying inside the city of New Orleans today. And that city has descended further into chaos tonight. It is because we had to make a judgment about our personal safety, the members of this team, that we are here in Metarie, Louisiana, a town hit so hard. They feel forgotten, and the people inside the city of New Orleans are asking repeatedly to people in Washington, ‘Are you watching? Are you listening?’