In the end, we are only human.

I do not think I will ever forget Anderson Cooper’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina on CNN in 2005. Cooper actually broke down on camera and started to cry because of the heartbreaking situation in New Orleans. That being said, it did not surprise me when we watched the video clip in class of Cooper dropping his microphone and rescuing the little boy who was hurt and gushing blood.

Anderson Cooper

If I were in Cooper’s position, I undoubtedly would have done the exact same thing–drop the camera to rescue the injured child. I would not have even had to think twice about what to do. As journalists we are trained to ask tough questions, walk into scary situations, and talk to people who might be going through something horrible. Journalists are supposed to report and act in an almost sensitized way to avoid biases and to prevent changing the story.

When Cooper stepped in to save the boy, he did something a journalist should not necessarily do: he changed the story. The story was no longer about solely about the rising violence in Haiti. Rather, it was about how the escalating violence in Haiti got so bad that Cooper , a journalist in Haiti with the purpose of reporting on the situation, had to step in and rescue a little boy.

It might be AGAINST the rules of good journalism to do what Cooper did, but it FOLLOWS the rules of being a good person. As I mentioned in class on Wednesday, when it comes down to it, Cooper is a human. A good person would not be able to stand idle and watch the violence continue. Rather, a good person would step in and do exactly what Cooper did. I know I could never live with myself if I just stood by and watched this child getting beaten to death. Yes, I want to be an award-winning journalist and get the story that no other journalist is able to get. But, I also want to remain a good person and do the right thing. For me it is a matter of ethics and watching a child die is just not an option, even if it means going against the rules of journalism.

The fact that Cooper stepped in to rescue the child actually adds to the coverage of Haiti. It shows how out of control the situation is there and how much help the nation needs. Cooper’s rescuing of the boy might provoke viewers to donate their money or time to help out the dire situation. I am sure that news coverage like this ((http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/22/ac.haiti.new.orphans.cnn)) touches viewers, provides information about the current situation, and makes them want to help out with the rescue effort. However, I truly believe that the video clip of Cooper rescuing the little boy really demonstrates how dire the situation in Haiti is.