Words Triumph Over Images Summary

In his editorial "Words Triumph Over Images," Curtis Wilkie blames today’s media for being “reckless” and “a mutant reality show”. He believes that television and radio are “unfiltered”, which causes the quality of journalism for newspapers to be unmatched. Yet, it is unfair to label all media that is not print as lesser because the quality of any media relies on the viewers and the individual journalists, and in drastic situations like a hurricane, reporters may have many road blocks. Any of these aspects can affect the quality of journalism, which invalidates Curtis Wilkie’s claim.

If T.V. news or radio have morphed into reality shows, then it is only a reflection of the viewers. As a former news reporter, the author should understand that the success

of programs heavily relies on the popularity. Therefore, the problem does not lie with the broadcasters, it lies with the viewers. Twisted as this may be, it is still incorrect to shame the media for such styles. To generalize a type of media, such as television, as reckless or full of "urban legends", is unfair. If our society craves exaggerated media, then Wilkie’s problem is with the population and not the reporters.
In addition to dealing with the demands of the public, the individual skills of a reporter affects the quality of the report.

No matter the branch of media, the quality of the report depends on the journalist. Most of the content produced is by individual reporters, who are struggling to please the masses. Of course, there are some journalists report heresy in order to produce a story. But there are still reporters, such as Jeanne Meserve of CNN, who are honest. Wilkie even said himself that some, “reporters were unwitting accomplices,” who, “trusted official sources,” which were false or misleading. For example, in "Hurricane Katrina Day by Day" from National Geographic, the content was clear and truthful. Part of this could be due to the amount of resources of the large company. This allows each reporter be be able to asses the situation more skillfully. In the case of Jeanne Meserve of CNN, she was not “able to reach that part of the city” that she was asked to report on. If she had more bountiful resources, she would’ve had a better understanding of the situation. Instead of blaming the whole genre of media, such as television, Wilkie should examine how the quality of the reporter affects the overall

result.
The problem that Curtis Wilkie addresses in his editorial "Words Triumph Over Images," is not about the media and their lack of clarity or honesty, Rather, the problem is with the warped content that the viewers crave, the individual journalists, and the roadblocks the journalists face. Curtis Wilkie brings up valid points, but fails to scrutinize the individuals rather than the genre of media.

prepare a document using the images from Carolyn Cole's "Witness to the Tragedy." Read Cole's article again and then provide a one- to two-sentence description of each image that explains how it affects your understanding of the article. Questions to consider: "Why do you think the author included the image of the young man suffering from thirst?" "How does this image add to what the author is saying?" "What does the image say about Hurricane Katrina that the text of the article alone cannot?"