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It seems that we weren't the only ones with a few criticisms of television news coverage of Hurricane Wilma. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush mentioned this morning during a news conference that he was none too pleased with the "bad example" television reporters set for residents. The Palm Beach Post writes:

Bush said he was "annoyed" by television reporters broadcasting during the storm, accusing them of setting a "bad example" for others. … "My wife and I woke up at five this morning just like everybody else does to watch the storm. And we see these characters on television reporting the news and putting themselves in harm's way. That doesn't do much good either, creates a bad example for others. It isn't fun. It's very dangerous," he said.

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Following Hurricane Katrina, there was a lot of talk about television reporters becoming part of the stories they cover -- expressing too much emotion, editorializing, intervening. After watching this morning’s coverage of Hurricane Wilma, television reporters seemed to be returning to more familiar roles in the hurricane story: potential victims.



On CBS’s “The Early Show,” Trish Regan reported from Key Largo, Florida, where it appeared quite likely that she might be picked up and promptly deposited in the raging sea behind her by the “hurricane-force winds and sideways rain” that she described as she stood near the edge of a pier. She struggled to remain upright, and the satellite feed struggled to catch all of her words as she spoke with anchor, Rene Syler.



“You can see for yourself, Hurricane Wilma has arrived … I’m being hit by hurricane force winds and sideways rain,” Regan shouted.



At around 8:30, ABC’s “Good Morning America” had Bob Woodruff reporting live, also struggling to stand upright, from what appeared to be the right lane of a highway in Naples, Florida.


“Robin, this is the real deal right now. We're really getting slammed. We've got gusts of over 50 miles per hour,” said Woodruff.



Just as I began to wonder when the roof of a building would fly off and hit Woodruff in the head, he filled me in. “Just about five minutes ago, the roof of this center completely ripped off,” said Woodruff, as the camera panned to a now roof-defunct building. I was less intrigued by the fact that the wind was strong enough to tear a roof from a building than I was relieved that Woodruff was not impaled by flying debris.

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