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Yesterday's sneaking suspicion that the nightly newscasts had gone overboard in their saturation coverage of the tornado in Moore Okla is starting to ring true. NBC's lead had Lester Holt remarking how low the death toll was, considering the twister's severity. And for its closer, NBC sent Erica Hill in Joplin Mo, where precisely two years ago a tornado of similar ferocity accounted for 162 deaths -- many more than the 24 who died in Moore on Monday. ABC has already moved on, deciding to lead with the grisly murder of an off-duty soldier in London instead. Nevertheless, Moore was still Story of the Day, accounting for 31% of the three-network newshole (21 min out of 56).

The fact that a couple of elementary schools was flattened by the tornado continues to be its most newsworthy angle. CBS kicked off with Elaine Quijano on the lack of safe-room storm shelters in Oklahoma schools, the same issue that Tom Costello covered for NBC on Tuesday. ABC claimed an Exclusive for David Muir's exploration of the ravaged corridors of Briarwood Elementary with schoolteacher Robin Dziedzic, whose cellphone recorded the video of the moment of panic. On NBC, Today anchor Matt Lauer got the guided tour of the other ruined school, Plaza Towers Elementary, which was folded into Lester Holt's lead.

All three newscasts closed with a tornado feature. NBC, as said, returned to Joplin Mo. CBS' Mark Strassmann brought us the human interest of the Falwell family, whose adrenaline rushed allowed them to break through their neighbors' fence to use their storm shelter. ABC went to their in-house Oklahoman Mike Boettcher, who composed an essay in praise of the tenacity of his fellow Okies. Okies never give up. They are resilient. They stay and rebuild, Boettcher boasted, apparently forgetting how many tens of thousands left for California, Grapes of Wrath-style, during the Dust Bowl.

Boettcher ended with a teenage guitarist singing in celebration of Oklahoma Strong. Enough with Strong: NBC's Holt found strong Oklahomans too. After the marathon bombs in Beantown, it was Boston Strong all the time. After Superstorm Sandy, yes, we were smothered by Jersey Strong. It is even the title for ABC's new regular inspirational feature from Steve Osunsami about teenage virtues: America Strong. Here were the strong racial integrators of rural Georgia. And here was the strong blind pole vaulter of rural Texas.
Andrew Tyndall 5/23/13 8:47:51 pm

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