Govs: Media Over-Hyping Extent of Spill Damage

(CBS)  The tourism industry along the Gulf Coast could unnecessarily suffer because of sensationalized media coverage of the oil spill, three Southern Republican governors said today on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"The news coverage of this, of course, there's a lot of it. It's very sensational," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said. "It's the worst pictures that you can get. And it shows every hour on cable news and several times a day on the regular networks.

"The people of the United States have the impression the whole Gulf of Mexico is ankle-deep in oil, which is simply not the case," he said.

There is no oil on the shore of Mississippi yet, Barbour said, but the state has already lost the first third of its tourist season.

"There are a lot of people on the coast that make most of their living in three months," he said. "They have been clobbered because of the misperception that our whole coast is knee-deep in oil."

Barbour said the news media could have differentiated between the effects of the spill on Louisiana and on Mississippi, "but it chose not to."

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley said that, just last night, oil reached the shores of his state. It is difficult to clean up in its liquid state, and officials are trying to find a way to coagulate the oil so it is easier to pick up, he said.

"We do have some challenges. There's no question about it," Riley said. He added, however, that "most of the experience of coming to the Gulf Coast is still as great as it's ever been. We want to encourage people to come down. There's not a day that goes by we don't get 100 telephone calls or 1,000 telephone calls saying, 'What can we do?'

"The greatest thing you can do right now? Come on down. Rent a condo. Stay in a hotel. Go out to eat. Play golf. Enjoy the South," he said.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist added that the beaches in Florida are still clean, though the oil plume near Pensacola is closer than ever.

"We have a first duty, the health, safety and welfare of our people," he said. "If it gets to a point where we have to close the beach, we'll do so. Right now, no beaches are closed in our Sunshine State."

The spill has proved to be an environmental disaster as well as an economic one, but Barbour said keeping President Obama's six-month moratorium on deepwater offshore drilling will only exacerbate the problem.

"I don't think we should have a moratorium," Barbour said. "This is the first time something like this has ever happened. We need to get to the bottom of it... But I think it is very reasonable to continue to drill."

If drilling stops for six months, he continued, Gulf States will lose business, by oil companies moving their equipment and operations to places like West Africa, Brazil or Australia, "and it won't be back in six months when the moratorium is over."

"We produce 30 percent of our oil in the United States in the Gulf of Mexico," Barbour said. "If you shut that down, it will have an enormously negative effect on the national economy. What's going on right now is hurting my state's economy and these other Gulf states . . . But this moratorium is going to hurt the national economy."

Contrarily, Crist (whose state has less investment in offshore oil exploration) said that the spill should serve as a wake-up call for the country to move away from drilling and fossil fuels.

"If this spew in middle of the Gulf of Mexico doesn't tell us we need to be more cautious and more careful about doing this in the future, I don't know what else would," Crist said. "I mean, we don't have these rigs off the Florida coast. We are suffering from the one off the Louisiana coast. It troubles me greatly that that's occurring.

"That's why I think this is the greatest wake-up call ever that we need to go to alternative fuel. We need to have cleaner fuel for our people. That will create greater independence and stop sending so much money over to the Middle East."

[jimbom121]

Aren't these the same governors who are out in front of the camera's complaining that the federal government is not doing enough? The same governors who fight the federal government when they try to add safety regulations? The same governors (at least one) who are calling for more off-shore drilling?

[screaminraven]

When Alabama and Mississippi coast lines look like Louisianas I suppose these Governors will then blame Obama for their mess...Oh that's right, the "Drill Baby Drill" crowd blames Obama for the economic damage of the BP rig disaster due to the moratorium. Guess what: there wouldn't be a moratorium on drilling if BP didn't cause this disaster. If the GOP thinks acting like school yard bullies and picking on the person they hate instead of the cause (BP) they have another thing coming election time...Only the petty, stupid and insane are swayed by the demand for a moratorium lift.

[Balakiryan]

Dear Mr. President:
?
????? BP announced that work has begun to drill a relief well to intercept and isolate the oil well
that is spilling oil in the US Gulf of Mexico. The drilling began on Sunday May 2 and is estimated to take some three months. "This is another key step in our work to permanently stop the loss of oil from the well," said BP Group Chief Executive Tony Hayward.
BP is drilling relief wells near the spill, to reduce the pressure at the site of the spill. But those new wells won?t be completed until the end of August. I strongly contend that a new well will not affect the amount of oil coming out of the first well. BP simply is fooling you, Mr. President, and the American people.
?
?? For the proof of my postulate I ask you, to use a? 2 Lt. soda? bottle? and? two push pins. Plug these push pins ?in a bottle of soda at a height of 1 inch from the bottom of the bottle and at a distance of ?2 ?inches from each other. Then pull out the first push pin, after being convinced that soda escapes from the opening you will take out the second push pin. Having done this operation , Mr.? President, you will see that the jet of a liquid from the first aperture absolutely does not decrease.?? This means that BP Group Chief Executive Tony Hayward is simply fooling all of us.
?? BP has its own interest and does not care how much more oil will spill for the next 3 months
in the Gulf of Mexico. That is why BP refuses to apply my know-how and use my methods for freezing the oil with liquid nitrogen.? In my opinion, this unique solution to reduce scales of ecological accidents in the Mexican Gulf is to immediately start downloading liquid nitrogen into the oil well?s breakthroughs. The low temperature will increase the viscosity of oil and may even freeze it. The freezing will slow down the speed of emission of oil and make it easier to facilitate the collection of oil in the off shore sector.
?
I anxiously wait for your response to my letter. My goal is to help the environment and the future generation to enjoy cleaner oceans and waters. Thank you for your time and God Bless.
?
Sincerely,
?
?
Constantine Balakiryan, PhD, Professor.?
?

[tsigili]

While the media does over hype absolutely everything, in this case, I suspect that rather than over hyping, what we will one day realize, it was under hyped, as the damage will be far worse, than anyone now realizes.

All these comments are about, is the money, that other beach areas feel they are loosing, from tourism. Well, that is what happens, when conditions go south on you, whether that's hurricanes, red tides, or oil spills.

You will have to deal with it......like it or not.

[endurorob_5]

holalanemeir June 14, 2010 7:47 AM EDT
Ahh blame the media, especially when something reported doesn't fit into the conservative paradigm. Look at the satellite images. Nobody believes this is "minor incident" unless you watch Faux SNooze or listen to Rush. Is Conservative Poster Boy Bobby Jindal lying about the economic/ecological disaster besieging his state?


I never said this was a minor inident. I said the media was overhyping it, which is what the media does especially if it allows them to push their agenda.

[endurorob_5]

syslmod June 14, 2010 8:14 AM EDT
The media is neither liberal or conservative. It is corporatists. Of and by the multinational corporation.


No, the vast majority of the media has a liberal agenda.

[endurorob_5]

Of coursae the media is overhyping this. The vast majority of the media is liberal and the worse this oil leak looks the better for their green energy agenda.

[holalanemeir]

Ahh blame the media, especially when something reported doesn't fit into the conservative paradigm. Look at the satellite images. Nobody believes this is "minor incident" unless you watch Faux SNooze or listen to Rush. Is Conservative Poster Boy Bobby Jindal lying about the economic/ecological disaster besieging his state?

[allovertheplace2010]

Don't forget Gov. Barbour also said "racism" was overhyped in Mississippi, never was a big deal, just a "gnat". What a guy! I've lived in Jackson 2 years now. I'm just a middle aged white lady that proudly voted for Barack Obama because he's smart. I sure will be glad when the good 'ole boys are finally voted out. Wake up America! and Thank the Lord for Bob Schieffer - refreshing to have someone on the air with wisdom, intelligence, common sense, and a sense of humor! I wonder how long the governor here would last in a spelling bee!

Questions to consider: What's the color of oil? the water in the gulf? the sand on the beaches? the birds and fish? the marshlands?

[kathymc7719]

"I'm just a middle aged white lady that proudly voted for Barack Obama because he's smart."

Well your own statement proves that you aren't the brightest bulb. Smart like a fox your prez is - taking us right down the commie lane. We'll see how that works for you.

[jhf2010]

Are you kidding me?? Just ask any person who no longer has a job if BP is over hyping! Look at all the beautiful wildlife...oh, wait...they're DEAD!!! Enough proof for ya??!!

[inewton55]

I find it ironic that only minutes after the issue of the media over-hyping the oil-fouled beaches was discussed, Face The Nation did exactly that. While Governor Crist was talking about the pristine beaches of Florida, another window popped onto the screen showing oil-filled waves washing ashore. There was never any indication given as to where the shot was taken and no clarification on whether or not it was Florida.
I expected better from FTN.