Nobody should be surprised if the coverage of Hurricane Dean triggers posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of other big storms. Researchers have been studying posttraumatic stress related to natural disasters for years.
The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder says:
About a third
of these studies found effects that were quite severe, meaning that
a high percentage of study participants exhibited clinically
significant distress or diagnosable disorders. The most frequently
reported condition was PTSD, followed by depression, and then other
anxiety disorders. Many survivors also reported nonspecific
distress, health problems, chronic problems in living, and resource
loss.
A review of the research found that most often, people improved as time passed:
Quite a few studies have been conducted
specifically on the effects of hurricanes, including such major
events as Hurricane Hugo, Hurricane Andrew, and Hurricane Mitch.
Norris and colleagues (2002) described Hurricane Andrew as a good
example of a "high impact disaster." In one study of 400 highly
exposed residents of southern Dade County, 25% of the sample met
study criteria for PTSD 6 months after the hurricane. Symptoms of
depression and avoidance remained high as late as 30 months after
the hurricane struck (Norris et al., 1999). Lasting
symptoms were especially likely when people experienced other
forms of life stress in addition to the hurricane or had poor
self-esteem or weak social ties. Long after Hurricane Andrew,
many people felt less positive about the quality of their social
relationships than they had felt before the disaster, suggesting that perceptions of social
support are also harmed by disaster experience.
The studies show that the worst PTSD cases appeared among Latinos, especially among less
acculturated Latinos. One reason, the studies said, was that the Latinos studied may have been more exposed to the damaging effects of the storms than others.
Hay Shortage Comes Earlier Than Expected
I am seeing reports of hay shortages in Kentucky, Tennessee, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri. Usually it is a problem for the winter months, but in drought-stricken parts of the South, pastures have burned up. Indiana's farmers say hay production this year will be half of last year's crop, and a single small bale of hay may sell for as high as $7.
In North Carolina, hay production may be down 15 percent or more. The Asheville Citizen-Times says:
Production is estimated at 1.4 million tons, 15 percent less than
last year. Yield is forecast at 2 tons per acre, compared with 2.4 tons
per acre in 2006. The hay yield is also the lowest since 2002.
"If
this drought keeps up, farmers won't have enough hay to feed livestock
this winter," [North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve] Troxler said. "They're going to face a tough decision of
paying high costs to bring in hay from other states or selling some of
their animals early. Some farmers are already doing that."
One way for journalists to find sources on this story is to call one of the many "hay directories" that you can find online.
This, for example, is the Mississippi hay directory. Just enter your state along with the words "hay director" in a search engine to find yours. I was surprised that I didn't find a single page with all of the state pages on it. If you know of one, please add it with a link to the feedback section of this column.
Rush to Make Keys
My research is limited to last night's trip to Home Depot, where the guy running the key kiosk told me he has been copying keys nonstop for the last two days. The reason: Kids going back to school need a house key. I wonder what story ideas flow from that ...
-Kids at home alone
-Kid-friendly home security devices
-New ways to hide house keys
Hot Healthcare Story IdeasThe new Association of Health Care Journalists Web site now has a story tips section that I find pretty useful. It links to topical stories that others have done around the country.
Reinventing the High School Sports SiteAs I work with newsrooms around the country, I am seeing exciting plans for high school sports coverage online unlike anything local newspapers and T.V. stations have done before. Many of those sites roll out this week with high school football launching into full blossom this weekend.
I would love it if you would send a note to the reader feedback section of this column and tell us what your newsroom is doing differently this year. Give us links to the new material if you can.
Here is an example of big-time online coverage just launched by the Hearst-Argyle T.V. folks. Here are some things I love about the site: The directions to the game section, the game weather section and the band video. I like how easy the station makes it for folks to upload video and photos.
I don't know anybody who outdoes the Naples (Fla.) News on high school sports. You would think these high schools are the New York Yankees. I also like that it is not just football that gets all of the attention there.
Way out there on the extreme end of the high school sports site is
Takkle.com. The site,
which has a partnership with
Sports Illustrated's "
Faces in the Crowd" section, urges
players
to fill out a detailed profile,
upload game clips and
update stats. You can also
trash talk your rivals.
Webware.com describes Takkle.com as "a social networking and media site geared toward those
involved in high school sports: players, coaches, and fans."
The Webware column also considers whether the site has too much personal information about young athletes. There is the occasional cheesecake bathing suit picture kids have uploaded that will raise eyebrows, especially considering these are high school kids.
I interviewed Jacques Natz, Hearst-Argyle's director of digital media content, via e-mail to learn more about what it takes to run the High School Playbook site.
What were the guiding ideas behind this site, and what were you trying to accomplish?
The guiding principles include creating the game-changing local high school sports social networking site. It is aimed primarily at teens and also at their parents and school supporters. The student sideline reporters hired in almost all of the markets are an integral part of the image and the newsgathering and viral nature of this. It is a site that will be chock full of station videos and student sideline reporter videos, and it will rely heavily on user-generated content. The aim is to have the schools help support the statistics profile as we have developed trusted sources at the schools either with athletic personnel or communications personnel in Baltimore, Sacramento, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Greenville and Winston-Salem.
Why is it important to include the cheerleaders and band on sports coverage?
Cheerleading is a sport and a key component of school spirit. This site will heavily involve gauging school spirit. Bands and cheerleaders are key drivers of that along with the actual teams and their on-field performances.
I see that you have sections of the site for discussions and conversations. What are you hoping will happen?
High School Playbook is intended to serve as a virtual local Facebook. The social networking is a key part of what will drive this between friends and rivals.
What can you tell us about the staffing and effort that will be needed to make this fly at the station level?
The staffing involves commitment from a station coordinator, marketing and sales to make this work. The news departments are a key driver but it needs to be a station commitment since some of this involves event marketing, community touch-points and sponsors getting on board with a demo that stations have traditionally not been aggressive going after as part of the core audience.
Am I right that you are also soliciting photos and videos from fans?
User-Generated Content (UGC) is a critical component of this viral feeling site. After one day we already have one station alone with more than 100 kids who have created their own profiles.
Let's give a shout out. Who is the brains behind this creation?
Hearst-Argyle Executive Vice President Terry Mackin is in charge of all digital endeavors, and this has been his brainchild. He has led the charge, overseeing the partnership development, marketing strategies and general direction of the new business venture.
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's
Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story
excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as
original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly
from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided
whenever possible. The column is fact-checked, but depends on the
accuracy and integrity of the original sources cited. Errors and
inaccuracies found will be corrected.
This month Oklahoma got yet another federal disaster declaration and...
