In the Aftermath of Haiti

Information on Haiti is hard to find on the web now, specifically on newspaper sites. It's there, but it's hidden behind stories about the Celtics and Toyota recalls. On the New York Times' website the only information is in a tiny print, and shows links to pictures and a special-interest story titled "Girls' Rescue From Haiti Expands Family by Two..." The picture above the caption shows a man and Haitian girl embracing in a manner evoking familial love and care. Within the article a variety of pictures can be found, such as the one above. The article tells the story of a family who has been working for three years to adopt two children, Bettania and Dieunette, from Haiti. Dieunette, shown above, had come to the United States for a brain surgery, funded by the Heaton family, and had then returned to a mother in Haiti who was struggling to care for her daughters. A hurricane in 2008 prompted their mother to put them up for adoption, and the Heaton family immediately volunteered to adopt the sisters. The mother, Kristin Heaton (shown above), visited Haiti every 3 months for over a year to check on the two girls, until the earthquake. The family waited for days for news of the girls, until receiving a text message with the word "alive," from the orphanage. In the days that followed a rescue mission brought the girls and many other children from orphanages to the United States, where visa requirements for Haitian orphans who had been close to being adopted pre-earthquake, had decreased. The girls were in Nebraska within a week of the Hurricane where they met their new family. They were in poor health, Dieunette had a tape worm, but are continuing to get healthier. In general, the whole story is heartwarming, yet it makes me question what news about Haiti should focus on at this time. The article warns that over 10,000 children are predicted to have been orphaned in the earthquake, but gives no information on adoption or other means of saving them. I appreciated the beautiful story as I love to hear about happy endings like us all, however I'm confused about why exactly this story was printed and what purpose it serves. The motives of the New York Times seem to focus less on drawing attention to Haiti and more on drawing attention to the newspaper itself and its focus on happy, peaceful stories. If the latter covers the Times' motives is that inherently bad? Is any attention to Haiti good attention, as it creates awareness? Maybe the New York times is doing Haiti a favor by writing stories that will attract readers and bring awareness. I'm wondering if there are stages that the media follows before changing the direction they view an international or national disaster or crisis. Is there a certain time in which they report mostly facts (or what they perceive to be or call facts) and information on the reaction of the world, before transitioning to individual stories that appeal to the teddy bears in us all, looking for a happy ending? Does the media's take on an event in the aftermath depend entirely on the crisis and they way the world is viewing it? Would pictures of the sustained devastation make Americans depressed and less likely to take action to help or is the media worried about the advertising filter and rendering Americans depressed and unlikely to buy? In general, I'm wondering why the only information on Haiti is about Haitian children in America, and just two children at that. Why aren't we seeing more pictures of children abandoned, children who need homes, and links to donating to orphanages? Why aren't we seeing links to the Red Cross and other organizations that can help the thousands of girls and boys out there that haven't been so kindly taken in? Are newspapers concerned that if a person donates to Haiti relief they won't spend money elsewhere, such as with their advertisers? Why has the media seemed reluctant to make more of a difference? Would it be against the Code of Ethics for a journalist to display the opinion that it is good to donate to victims of natural disasters? Does this avoidance stem from something deeper in the media complex? How do filters such as advertising and sourcing play into the way in which newspapers such as the Times display information on disasters like the earthquake? The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/us/26orphans.html