I started communicating about our coverage with colleagues. The quake was centered north of here, near the wine town of Napa. Within 20 minutes, we had blog coverage and within an hour, live radio newscasts.
For the next eight hours, I was part of a small team of us who live within easy distance of the station coordinating our coverage. One thing you do not want to do during a crisis situation is to frighten people or carelessly pass on rumors.
You do not want to exaggerate injuries, physical damage, or danger. The main challenge is to try and stay calm, avoid falling for rumors, and wait for official confirmation before you report *anything*.
I have to say it helps to be a veteran at times like this. My old friend and colleague, Scott Shafer, also lives close to KQED and rushed in to play the role of on-air anchor.
As much as some like to vilify media people, and craft conspiracy theories about how we are somehow biased, what we really try to do is serve the public and our specific audiences the best we can -- on all stories.
First, we don't make things up. Second, we try to verify whatever we tell you. Third, no matter what our political, religious, or personal beliefs, we do our level best to eliminate those from what we broadcast over TV, radio, or the Internet.
In other words, we try very hard to not have an agenda.
If that sounds like a veteran journalist talking, it is. I've been doing this work since I was 18 years and 9 months old. That would be for half a century if I can make it to next January.
On days like today, I am truly proud of my profession. We take lots of hits from all sides ideologically, but truly we try to do our best.
After all, when a natural disaster hits, none of that other stuff (ideology, race, sex, age, sexual orientation, wealth, and so on) really matters all that much, do they? Maybe those are the only times we all have the opportunity to remember we are all just people and we are all in this together.
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