"Still In Haiti"

Mediaite Speaks With Anderson Cooper: “The Rest Of The World Feels Extraordinarily Far Away”

by Steve Krakauer | 2:43 pm, January 26th, 2010

CNN has covered the Haiti story far more than any other cable news network – last week it was four times as much as Fox News or MSNBC.

And it continues this week, with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper remaining the most high profile correspondent still reporting on the ground (he’s there all week, and has been since January 13). Mediaite spoke to Cooper today (instead of “Back From Haiti” it’s “Still In Haiti”) while he traveled from “mass graves” to the Hotel Montana, where people are “digging for Americans foreign nationals.”

Mediaite: While other correspondents and anchors return to the United States, you are staying this week as well. What made you decide to stay an extra week?

Cooper: I just didn’t feel it was right to leave. I was just worried that if everyone leaves, then there’s going to be less focus on it. There are still a lot important things going on here. On a personal level, I just wanted to stay and continue covering the story. I talked to Sanjay [Gupta] and he felt the same way.

“What stands out in my mind has nothing to do with the coverage. It’s just seeing people, talking to people, who are digging through rubble with their own hands, trying to find loved ones or even complete strangers.”

Mediaite: CNN has covered this story more than any other cable network. Why do you think it is important for CNN to stick with the story?

Cooper: It is hard to get sense of what others are doing. I just think this is a very important story. Obviously Haiti has a lot of connections with us, families have connections here. This is huge catastrophe, and Haiti as a country doesn’t receive enough coverage even in good times. It seems like the right place to be. Important things are happening in other places, in the political world. But it just felt like the least I could do is stay for another week.

Mediaite: I watched some of your show last night, and you covered other news as well – Scott Brown, the State of the Union. How are you able to anchor from Haiti and talk about other stories?

Cooper: It’s strange to talk about other topics – it feels strange when you’re here. The rest of the world seems extraordinarily far away. Obviously what’s happening here is life and death, and you’re confronted with that on an hourly basis. But there are other things people are interested in, other important things happening. We try to strike balance between where you are and other things.

Mediaite: Some critics have said reporters and TV doctors are getting too close to the story in Haiti. How do you respond to that?

Cooper: I haven’t seen what other people are doing. I’m not a TV doctor, and it has got to be strange position. On one hand, they have medical expertise and can save lives. If you’re in a position to save someone’s life and help someone, I don’t think it’s a big conflict, as long as you’re open about what you’ve done…I don’t think CNN is promoting it in a way that is inappropriate or over-promoting it. I was involved in it, we were very careful how we discussed it. It got more coverage elsewhere than it did on CNN.

“My team is working around the clock, and we’re all getting sick in one way or another.”
Mediaite: What have you found is the most difficult to convey in your reporting?

Cooper: I’m not sure it’s difficult, but what we’re trying to convey is what it’s like being here, what’s actually hapepning. I try to take somebody who is in their living room or the gym, and for a few moments transport them to the streets of Port-au-Prince, or transport them to someone else’s shoes. Someone who is dealing with the immediate effects of the quake, or the aftermath of the quake – to walk in their shoes.

Mediaite: Is there an image, or a moment that you will take away personally? I know for some here it will undoubtedly be you carrying the bleeding child to safety.

Cooper: That was certainly a very intense experience. And I’ve been in situations like that before, but this is the first time I actually intervened in such direct way. It was a spur-the-moment decision, and I still think it was the right decision. The little boy had a bad head wound and couldn’t get up, and I felt he was in great harm. Anybody would have done same thing if they were in that position. To me, what really stands out in my mind has nothing to do with the coverage. It’s just seeing people, talking to people, who are digging through rubble with their own hands, trying to find loved ones or even complete strangers. That’s what I see when I close my eyes at night.

Mediaite: So your plan now is to come back at the end of the week?

Cooper: Honestly, I don’t know. We’re taking it day-by-day. We’re definitely staying through this week and then we’ll re-assess. My team is working around the clock, and we’re all getting sick in one way or another.

A report yesterday from Cooper: