CNN to Haiti Earthquake Witness: "What was the Mood"?

Showing again why the mass media is made up of the worst collection of journalists the country has had in its history, regardless of what its covering, in an interview with an earthquake witness, a passenger on the American Airlines flight that was the last flight out of Haiti after the earthquake, Kyra Phillips, after hearing the passenger's pre-takeoff account of the earthquake asked, "What was the mood?"

This is the kind of question you ask if you don't have a clue of what to ask. What did she think was the mood? People making dinner plans? Did the mood matter? How about whether or not there was any building collapse? People hurt? Instead she asks questions like, "What was the mood?" and "What did you feel?"

CNN, day in and day out, like just about every other news organization, regardless of whether its health care or an earthquake, have journalists who can only be called inept at the craft of journalism, and who seem to not only gear their reports to the lowest common denominator, but are the lowest common denominator themselves.

It can probably bee assumed that most people had a good idea of what the mood was in Haiti after a devastating earthquake though "mood" trivializes what the human reactions must be. Which is why the mainstream media, even in a crisis, are becoming more and more besides the point, as online media and social networking provides a better picture of an event from ordinary people who are there, sending pictures, videos and eyewitness accounts.

CNN also decided that an 800 number set up for people in the U.S. to call regarding relatives in Haiti was breaking news. The words "breaking news" were large and highlighted in yellow. The actual number could barely be read at the bottom of the screen.

The value of cable news media is, more and more, only in being able to bring live news events when they happen, letting pictures tell the story. But after watching the way the media, and CNN in particular, has been covering the earthquake in Haiti, it isnt making anyone's mood any better.