Unfortunately the news outlets probably deem the terrorism issue as more newsworthy. Plus I think networks are biased towards East coast news. NBC sent Matt Lauer to Texas yesterday and I think he got about 3 minutes of air time all morning.

I read somewhere that you know it's a bad week when an Elvis impersonator sends an envelope full of poison to the president and it doesn't get any news coverage.

The Texas explosion is a horrible tragedy and we should be hearing more about it.

It has been an extraordinary week of events. I believe there is a bias towards East coast reporting. The Today Show this AM had both the weekday anchors (Matt and Savannah) and the weekend anchors (Lester Holt and Erica Hill) on air today.

And what is it about bombings that brings out poison letter senders? It is strange and scary how events seem to push unstable people off the edge. (Sorry, going off topic.)

the difference of importance between the 2 stories is that one was an accident.

The other an attack.

both godawful.

ML

Agreed oakleyok. To me, this a tragic example of what happens when regulations are considered anti-freedom. Rick Perry is coming to my state next week to crow about how business friendly his state is. I am so sick of politicians who favor money over people's safety. The ignorance is astounding.

From my understanding this was not an accident. The factory was trying to save on costs and paperwork and had been storing 1,350 times the amount of ammonium nitrate that would normally trigger safety oversight.

Somebody has to tell the E.P.A. that we don't need you monkeying around and fiddling around and getting in our business with every kind of regulation you can dream up. You're doing nothing more than killing jobs. It's a cemetery for jobs at the E.P.A.
-Rick Perry

It's hard for me to judge the Texas coverage because I live an hour away from Boston. All the local channels have been devoting enormous amounts of time to the bombing and the subsequent hunt for the bombers. Last night, all three networks covered the final bit of the manhunt for hours. I turned the TV on at 7 pm and the news was underway. They didn't even stop for commercials. And it was still on-going when I went to bed at 11, after they had caught the second suspect.

However, we are getting some coverage of the explosion in Texas and the ricin letters that were mailed to the President and two other people, and the flooding in the mid-west. Just not nearly as much as the bombing.

The news is a business. They showcase the news that they think will make the most money and get the most viewers (so they can make more money). It's not about what's right or fair; it's about what will sell ad time.

But, to answer your question, oakleyok, yes, I would expect that the focus would shift from Boston, now that the immediate situation has been more or less resolved, and move on to other parts of the US. I mean, I suspect that the Boston stations will still devote a fair amount of coverage to the bombing for the next week, but will start to expand their coverage outside the city back to normal over the next few days. And the rest of the country should switch over even faster, I'd think.

I completely agree with you oakley.

My heart goes out to both cities and both incidents are horrible and life changing for the citizens of both cities. But the talking heads can bring their terrorism "experts" (all retired from someplace or other it seems) and conspiracy-theorists into the Boston incident and stretch 5 minutes of talking into hours. It's tough to do that with what has been deemed an accident.

I would like to know how the people of West, Texas are doing.

Some channels are more sensationalistic than others. The bombing can really be stretched out, as BFenton noted. I don't support them by watching.

Charlie Rose has been discussing the Texas tragedy.

To me, this a tragic example of what happens when regulations are considered anti-freedom. Rick Perry is coming to my state next week to crow about how business friendly his state is. I am so sick of politicians who favor money over people's safety. The ignorance is astounding.

Agree with this. I wonder if Rick Perry realizes if his state had seceded from the Union---- a move I personally would have supported wholeheartedly--- they would be receiving NO FEDERAL AID for the investigation, cleanup, and assistance to the victims of this accident.

If he were a real Texan, as proud as he is of not relying on the rest of us for anything, he should step up and offer to foot the entire bill for this mess from his state's own coffers.

I'm glad Rick Perry was mentioned A friend of mine who lives in Texas wrote on FB that Perry will be blamed for this. I know he's a democrat so I didn't think he was joking around. lol Perry should NOT be traveling right now with such a disaster going on in his state.

This has been one hellish week. With Boston, the OKC anniversary which is always televised, Texas, the Pres. getting poison in the mail. Geez.

I think the week of April 19th should be taken off the calendar. :)

Should also be noted that West, TX govenor Bill Flores voted against providing federal disaster relief funds for Hurricane Sandy victims, but now that his own locale is hit with a disaster, he's asking for financial aid from the federal government. Hypocrites, all.

This post was edited by lee676 on Sat, Apr 20, 13 at 16:55

Oakley, I have family that has birthdays and like to celebrate that week, so, no, that week is special to some and I would not like to take that week off the calendar.

I know you were sort of half-joking, but, some people were born that week. How about let's take the particular week your kids or grandkids were born off the calendar?

Ollie, it was all in jest. I have a friend who thinks February should be taken off the calendar because it's always so cold. Having a sense of humor myself it didn't offend me.

We live about 2 hours south from West TX and always stop at the Czech Stop Bakery to pick up kolaches on our way to visit my FIL in Dallas.

It's a very close knit town with a rich Czech heritage. The devastation is beyond words and news coverage is abysmal.

The funny thing about Rick Perry is that I don't know anyone who likes the guy. Sure, most of my friends are liberal but, around here, you can't throw a rock without hitting a very vocal republican and none of them like him either. I have no idea who keeps voting him in to office.

So please, oh please - don't be hasty to castigate all Texans for the sins of Rick Perry.

lee676, I'm sure that was just a typo but Bill Flores is the congressman for that district.

I could not agree more. It was an extremely busy news week -- terrorist bombing, factory explosion, letters laced with ricin (sent by an Elvis impersonator). In another week, the TX blast would have been the lead story and the town would have been swarming with journalists. Other weeks it seems like it is all Kardashian, all the time.

I feel terrible for the people in TX. I am having a hard time even finding info on the blast.

My brother just posted something on FB about the loss of the first responders-mostly volunteer firefighters. There has been NO word on that tragedy in my local news media. Makes me sick.

And, going to get a bit political here-I am sickened by the lack of regulatory actions that allow disasters such as this to occur. I am a regulator-hated by many who think that their taxes shouldn't go toward regulation of health and safety (ironically, my job is NOT tax payer funded), but I see on a daily basis where regulation is necessary! People crow about personal responsibility-but I can tell you, it's a NIMBY world out there and if there was no regulation, it'd by hell to live out there. Neighbor to neighbor feuds are probably 80% of what I deal with, and it's all land use related. Sure, they don't want the government involved, until their neighbor does something they don't like or that hurts their property.

Ok, rant over. My heart goes out to the residents and families who lost loved ones and were affected by this horrific tragedy.

**So please, oh please - don't be hasty to castigate all Texans for the sins of Rick Perry.** kellyeng I'm really glad you said that because you caught me up short with what I was considering posting. I live in suburban Chicago and the Perry advertising blitz is driving me nuts. It would be all too easy for me to snap off some smart alack remark about it and castigate the whole state when that's really not fair or warranted.

I watched CBS Sunday this morning as I do regularly and was disappointed at the minimal, cursory mention of West, TX. It's sad and shocking that tragic news in any state should take precedence over another. We are the UNITED states, aren't we?

This truly has been the week from hell. Now I am reading news of a terrible earthquake on China that has killed 186 people.

I watch ed morning news show where they talked about all the terrorist bombings in other countries recently, yet they are hardly a blip on the radar screen here.

Here is a link that might be useful: week from hell

So close to the Oklahoma City bombing anniversary, makes me worry this is not an accident. In sync with Boston doesn't help. I wonder if they can ever know.

kellyeng, Just want to assure you I don't feel Rick Perry reflects all Texans.

Many of the politicians in my state (IL) are/were as unfit to govern as Rick Perry. Four out of seven of our last Governors were convicted and Imprisoned. It's shameful.

I'd like to see a mandatory test for candidates that measures their ethics, problem solving skills and basic knowledge of STEM subjects before they can even run.

I am wishing West Texas the best and hoping the community finds the resources and strength to rebuild and heal.

*go pesky1!

It could be months before the investigators release a cause for the explosion, but the ammonium nitrate at the plant is notoriously volatile, so chances are this was just an accident. Could also be an accident caused by unsafe conditions as mentioned above.The Washington Post did give it front page coverage and more inside section A later.

I suspect that the reason the bombing at the marathon gets more coverage is that it could so easily happen anywhere at any public event or in any public setting. The fertilizer plant, while terrible, was site-specific and not likely an outside attack. I don't think it means one state is getting preferential coverage. I certainly would prefer NOT to get that kind of coverage and I suspect those in Boston would agree. Years ago, there was an explosion at a fireworks factory. Awful, but there was an inherent danger just as there was in the plant in Texas.People are horrified by such tragedies, but people who work in those places realize they can be dangerous. I do think there should be a perimeter around such factories within which houses cannot be built, but again, many people would object to "Big Brother" deciding where they can or cannot live.

I agree that regulation is a good thing and people forget what it was like when rivers caught on fire and food was not as safe as it is now, etc., etc.

Pesky, just out of curiosity, I have never heard of regulators that weren't publicly funded-who funds you? If you don't want to say, no worries. You just mention it frequently and I really am just curious-it obviously isn't any of my business. I know of private places that monitor things-DH is on the board of one such environmental non-profit-but they have no regulatory authority. I think it would be great if they did!

A go Pesky from me too!

I think it depends where in TX you live. Here, we are surrounded with Perry lovers. Sickens me, but there it is....

Bestyears, I'm in an island of blue . . . Sweet Austin.

As a news junkie, not living in MA or TX, I was much more interested in reports of the Marathon bombing (and the events after) then of the horrible explosion in West.

While I was shocked and saddened to hear about what happened in Texas, my interest and desire to learn more where about the risk from terrorists.

ML