Haiti As Disaster Porn

Maura R. O'Connor examines the coverage of the crisis:

The longer American news outlets ignore these critical and complex issues, the easier it will become to view their occasional jaunts to Haiti with cynicism: it’s [a] convenient place to get B-roll of tragedy and disaster. Their coverage increases viewership, but without a moral component of responsibility towards Haitians themselves over the long-term, such coverage is basically exploitative.

And over time, superficial reporting on Haiti’s problems – which plays a role in soliciting charitable donations from Americans – will arguably make the media culpable in the very system of aid-dependence and misguided development policies that help keep Haiti poor.