Gustav...Post 5 - The Email Coup

Okay- let me preface this by saying - It's not the best thing I ever wrote -but I sure was pissed. Here's the link to the show Wait, Wait the bit about Gustav isn't mentioned until about...35 minutes in. Here's the email ....AND The NPR response to my email.When I sent the email to Wait, wait, I read the disclaimer that said "we receive so many emails that we don't have time to read them all." Because I really wanted someone to read my email (which I first believed just be a cathartic effort on my part), I sent the email again to the top of NPR and titled it "Complaint from a South Louisiana Resident Regarding show.....yada yada." At any rate, it must have worked, because they responded. Then, not an hour after I received my response, I got in my car to hear our Baton Rouge Mayor and the East Baton Rouge Parish President, Kip Holden (have I ever mentioned how much I respect this man?) on the air with Michele Norris of NPR speaking of our current situation. As far as I know, it's the first time anyone from the National news has done anything like this.I can't say I'm thrilled about their response. I think I'd like to respond and clarify, but considering how upset I was Saturday, Sunday and Monday regarding this mess, just sending an email and receiving any response did more than I could have imagined to lift my spirits...despite the fact that we still don't have 'lectricity! Hey Craig!! We're even! 10 days!!!!!

From: Shamsi [mailto:shamsi@bayoushimmy.com] Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 11:32 AMTo: WaitWaitSubject: From a South Louisiana Resident regarding your recent show 9/6/08

Dear Sirs,
I am now able to calmly compose this email. Since Saturday, when I heard your last show on our battery powered radio, I have been unable to listen to the radio for the unbelievable amount of misinformation being spread that has made my stomach turn.
Most noteably, it was one of your questions (which seemed to either directly quote or paraphrase the ignorant mayor of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana) regarding hurricane Gustav's impact on my home state that made me want to throw the nearest, heaviest object through the radio and (with my apologies) hit whomever asked the question.

I believe the question ended with the words "...it hit the coast and dissolved away into nothing," or something to that effect.

My primary issue here being that the hurricane did NOT in fact 'dissolve' or do anything of the nature. Gustav was a category 3 hurricane when it hit our coasts, destroyed several of our coastal parishes and still had 111 mile per hour winds 100 miles inland. I live south of the city of Baton Rouge , in Iberville Parish where the eye of Gustav passed not immediately over, but close enough that even though we are now 9 days out from the event, much of my region, including my own home is still without power. Baton Rouge itself was devastated.

I am only able to write to you now because power was restored to my company late Sunday (9/7/08) night.

I cannot say how depressed and let-down I felt by a show presented on National Public Radio that persisted in letting the rest of our Nation know "Louisiana is okay" when that is so very far from the truth. I felt as though a trusted friend let me down, disregarded my situation because there were bigger and better things (the R.N.C., the 3rd anniversary of Katrina) going on, and ultimately lied to the world about our condition.

I am sure it was just ignorance on your part...but for a show that is about the recent news, ignorance seems a poor excuse.

I am not certain of when the bile in my belly will allow me to listen to NPR again. At the moment I have no faith in anyone who calls themselves a journalist. I am sure by now something of our situation has finally leaked out into the rest of humanity, but I felt the need to let you all know exactly how disgusted, forlorn, saddened and betrayed I felt by a single question asked on Saturday's show.

Perhaps I am being to harsh, perhaps I am being overly-emotional, perhaps it is just the 8th day of cold showers, the 8th night of sleepless, sticky, warm discomfort, the 6th day of water leaking out of ice chests onto my floor which has to be dealt with before I can begin my day, but I am still not able to get beyond the hurt I experienced from listening to your program, which was until that moment an entertaining distraction.

I hope facts presented on your program will be more thoroughly researched for future broadcasts.

Sincerely,
Charlie (Charlotte Louise) Pettus
Sunshine, Louisiana
_______________________________________________________
Subject:
RE: From a South Louisiana Resident regarding your recent show 9/6/08
Date:
Tue, 9 Sep 2008 17:52:27 -0400
From:
"WaitWait"
Hi Charlie,
This is Melody Kramer, one of the producers at Wait Wait.
I’m really sorry we offended you. We didn’t mean to. We were trying to frame the hurricane in terms of media hype, and how ridiculous that is – not the actual hurricane itself. We realize the storm was bad, and damaging to Louisiana – but it’s still funny when Geraldo goes into these situations and hypes them up. Geraldo is inherently funny, because he continually does this.

Our job is not to report the news, it’s to make fun of the news. And while we may not always succeed, our objective is to entertain. Never is it our intention to offend. Seeing that we failed in this instance, please accept my apologies.

Again, thanks for writing, and thanks for listening, and I hope you'll listen in again. If history is any guide, pretty soon we'll say something offensive that you approve of.

All best,

Melody Kramer