Pardon me for venting, but I’m a bit annoyed with network/cable media and New Orleans media right now. Today, the media ‘celebrated’ the 2nd Anniversary of the nation’s worst hurricane disaster.  For the second year in a row, nationally syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner broadcast his four-hour show live from the Crescent City.  This time, he set up his remote studio at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School - the first school to re-open in the Ninth Ward since Katrina.  Hmmm, ironically the same place President Bush decided to have his speech. 

Who do you think made the national news? Of course, President Bush. He is the President, you say, so the leader of the Western world always trumps radio personality when doing the run down, right?!  Of course, I’m an old news guy, I know that, but here’s the rub.  You know pool cameras had to set up shop at the school long before the President arrived.  So, you’re telling me, that when one of the most influential African-American personalities dedicates four hours of national programming allowing the region’s most adversely affected residents speak their minds, that doesn’t even get a cut away, a VO?!!

Ok, I”ll come clean here, and admit I’m biased because I spent seven years working for Tom Joyner – four as his publicist.  But I’ve also spent 25 years in media, and know a little bit about news judgment.  In the case of Katrina Year Two, not even the New Orleans newspaper or local TV stations posted any stories or video of the ‘Tom Joyner Morning Show’ broadcast.  If it were the case where Joyner was there just to showboat that would be one thing, but he came with books, money donated by topnamed celebrities and ‘Hardest Working Awards’ to recognize many of the unsung heroes of the post-Katrina New Orleans.  Back in 2005, he raised nearly $1.5 million to help the students at Dilliard, Xavier and Southern University of New Orleans and families around the country who had to take in displaced family or friends.

So, I’m just saying, to say Joyner’s efforst were ‘invisible’ – in an Ellison sort of way – would be too harsh because at the end of the day, the black folks in New Orleans  and many others around the country, can see clearly.  When Joyner was to have Atlanta Falcon’s QB Michael Vick on before he got muzzed by his handlers, national, regional and local media were banging down his door to get access to his show and him personally. But when Joyner does something that really is a public service, he, ok, I’ll just say it – he got dissed.  The irony is that Joyner gave props to CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Soledad O’Brien for their continued coverage, and even allowed Soledad to promote her special broadcast – “Children of the Storm” –  she co-produced with Spike Lee.

The good thing is that won’t stop Joyner from making sure the voices of African-Americans, will always be heard.  Can I get an ‘Amen’?!