As always happens when a hot topic hits the media funnel, mainstream media facets such as Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, The Weather Channel and a slew of others converge on the area affected to report daily on whatever tragedy has occurred.
Many times this pushes a small, unknown community high into the limelight nationwide.
For us here in Southeast Texas, Hurricane Harvey was our 15 minutes of fame. As Harvey moved back into the Gulf after making landfall just north of Corpus Christi and flooded Houston, Port Arthur became the next target with mainstream media hot in pursuit.
Story after story was aired across networks showing the sheer devastation of flooding that affected so many of our friends, neighbors, family members and complete strangers.
While the waters were still receding at home something interesting happened. Hurricane Irma began to take aim at Florida. And, like a flash, major news networks were on their way to the next big thing. Port Arthur and the rest of Southeast Texas were fast becoming old news, at least to the rest of the nation.
And while the rest of the nation was glued to their TV’s focusing on the ensuing devastation that was impaling Florida, local news media continued to stay hard at work locally, keeping residents informed on recovery efforts.
Local newspapers, television stations, radio stations and Internet sites have worked tirelessly though the storm and afterward to share what happens next when the major networks leave. And we will continue to do so.
Why? Because it’s that important to you. And it’s that important to us.