How Katrina Changed How Nets Cover News

The legacy of Hurricane Katrina can be measured in many ways. For news nets, the metric is how they prepare to cover the next big story.

“Katrina was a particularly poignant and compelling appraisal of what we do,” Paul Slavin, senior VP news coverage at ABC News told The Hollywood Reporter‘s Paul J. Gough. Now, at ABC, there is “a designated producer whose job it is to respond to a breaking-news story. And a so-called ‘go pack’ is on hand and checked regularly to make sure it’s up to date.”

After Katrina, Gough writes “CNN staffers surveyed the entire Gulf and southeast coastlines for a better picture of the infrastructure and places that can be used for reporting that will pay off in prep time saved in case of an emergency.”

As for how the nets continue to cover the aftermath of Katrina: “NBC and CNN, in particular, have shown their commitment to the region with the establishment of full-time bureaus in New Orleans. NBC’s Brian Williams, who this week made his 14th visit to the region for NBC Nightly News, said it’s a significant resource commitment that hasn’t been easy but has been worthwhile.”

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