Boycotting NBC News

I had to stop watching TV a couple days ago because the images of the Southeast devastation were simply too much after a while. But last night, I was at a friend's house for dinner and they had NBC's special coverage of the aftermath of Katrina on the tube.

As I started watching, some reporter from NBC who had gone into the areas affected in New Orleans was standing in waist-deep water talking into a microphone. He then talked about and showed footage of how he and his cameraman were picked up by some volunteer who was out on a windboat picking up stranded people.

I was sickened and angry beyond words when I heard him say that the boat was full and they couldn't pick up any more people. As they showed footage of stranded people screaming after the boat for help, he said that it was very sad and hard to hear their screams.

Why the hell are a reporter and his cameraman taking up a spot on a rescue boat?! People are dying because there are not enough rescue boats and not enough time out there -- and this NBC reporter and his camera man took up two seats that otherwise would have gone to stranded people.

I'm hoping I misunderstood the situation, and if anyone out there saw that report and has a different take on it, please post it in the comments section of this blog entry.

As it is, I'm boycotting NBC news.