TEXAS FLOOD COVERAGE BELIES PUBLIC RADIO’S BOAST OF UNIQUE, EMERGENCY REPORTING:
Texas Public Radio claims it should continue receiving taxpayer funding because it provides vital news and emergency alerts that “others don’t” – but, when it comes to the devastating floods of July 4-5, just the opposite appears to be true.
The National Weather Service issued the first flash flood watch for heavily-hit Kerr County at approximately a quarter to one in the morning (12:41 a.m. local time) on Thursday, the day before the flood. By 11:03 a.m., more than ten hours later, Texas Public Radio (TPR) had not yet alerted its Facebook page readers of the danger.
But, it had made dubious claims in a post urging readers to lobby Congress to ensure it keeps receiving taxpayer funding:
* * * * * * * *
Meanwhile, private media outlets actually were keeping the local public informed of the flood threat and the National Weather Service emergency alerts warning about it.
Given the ubiquitous nature cable and satellite TV, broadband Internet, and smartphones (the iPhone comes with Apple’s weather app pre-installed, and the Weather Channel app lists five million downloads in the App Store), why does public broadcasting continue to act like it’s still an era of mass media, circa 1975 or so?
