A flood of information

By Cliff Brockman, Wartburg College

Downtown Cedar Rapids during the 2008 flood.

The Cedar River flood of 2008 caused emotional, physical and logistical problems for those reporting on the disaster, a panel of broadcast journalists said at this year’s IBNA convention.

The adrenaline rush from covering the flood disappeared after the fifth day of coverage, Beth Malicki said. Malicki co-anchors the KCRG-TV evening newscasts with Bruce Aune.

“At one point, Bruce and I were feeding each other a banana. We must have looked like starved monkeys,” she said. Malicki lost five pounds during the coverage.

Eating was also a problem for Ryan Schlader of WMT radio. He now keeps snacks in his desk because he either forgot to eat, or didn’t have time to do so during the continuing coverage.

Besides eating properly, keeping an eye on staffers’ emotional needs is important, Malicki said. The KCRG staff doesn’t talk about the experience because they start to cry when they think about it, even a year later, she said. Counselors did come to the station following the flood, but it was too soon after the event to do any good, she said.

Emotions ran high for Justin Roberts, the KGAN-TV weatherman, during the flood. Roberts said he started sobbing when one their reporters talked about meeting his wife at the Cedar Rapids Dairy Queen as the reporter covered the flooded DQ building.

More than just emotions
The KWWL-TV staff dealt with emotional problems as well but had the added burden of being flood victims. The station’s Iowa City bureau flooded, as did the basement of the Waterloo station.

KWWL’s main studio lost power because of the flooding, so the anchors broadcast from the station’s parking lot using its satellite truck.

“You just did whatever you could do to get it on the air,” Jason Mortvedt, the station’s assignment manager, said.

 Advice for the future
One person needs to be in charge of watching the overall coverage to make sure everything is being covered, Malicki said.

Malicki and Schlader said it’s also important to take a break when you’re doing extended coverage.

“I removed myself after a while for one day in order to recharge,” Schlader said.

Contrary to what most people would think, Schlader said, it’s important to let all commercials play as scheduled because it gives the on-air people a breather.

The one year anniversary of the crest of the Cedar River flood is June 13. All those on the panel said their stations were planning special coverage to commemorate the event.

Contact Cliff Brockman at: cliff.brockman@wartburg.edu