Assessing Television Coverage of the Bay Area Earthquake

Re “TV Reportage: It Isn’t Pretty,” Irv Letofsky’s Oct. 19 commentary on the coverage of the Bay Area earthquake:

In a major disaster, shouldn’t TV, the most potent of the media, be used in a responsible manner? Coverage of the quake was not helpful, informative or factual for the five hours I watched. Commentators struggled to give us something--anything.

Why isn’t there a TV disaster consortium immediately available for such a situation? Confirmed information could be developed through a central clearinghouse and be available to all channels. (This may sound like World War II, but the conditions suggest a similar solution.)

Media creativity can provide a better way than the present fumbling-in-the-dark approach.

JIM NORRIS, Los Olivos