Tornado Victims Get Visit From Bush

March 3, 2007
Today on Fox News' Weekend Live the focus was on the tornado victims in Americus, GA and President Bush’s visit there. The camera shots were views of demolished houses, stores and more prominently President Bush. Fox chose to cover the story by focusing on the President's quick appearance on the disaster sight. There were comments and comparison’s made to his appearance in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Everyone acknowledges that this is not as bad as the Katrina situation, but the coverage seems to focus on putting Bush in a positive light because he has responded much quicker this time. The reporter spoke with one of the victims’, a black man, and his main question was something along the lines of “how does it make you feel that the President has arrived so quickly?” The man, of course, was thankful and said that it provided hope that he and his family would get help. Coverage like this, in my mind, shows some truth in the accusations of Fox being biased toward President Bush. I feel like the media in this situation should have been focused on what people outside of the area could do to help the storm victims, instead of how the President's visit made them feel and how there has been reform in emergency situations since Hurricane Katrina.