Buffalo, NY fire: Media shows bias?

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Four families left homeless after apartment fire in Buffalo, New York

Today I went and covered another fire in an apartment in a four apartment building at 630-632 Plymouth Avenue in Buffalo, New York.

When I arrived, thick gray smoke was pouring out of the roof and windows at the north end of the building on all three floors and firefighters were just getting ready to put out the blaze.

I immediately asked the fire Lt. if there was anyone inside, and he siad no, but there had been one person who was trapped on the second floor and "jumped out of a window to the neighbors second floor porch," said Buffalo Fire Department Chief Joe Fahey.

When I got the feel of the situation, I began to walk around the scene, but not for a better view or to take pictures, but to see if there were any other media agencies present. To my knowledge, there were none. I happened to be the only one.

I was in some ways surprised, but in some ways not. The location of this fire was not in the best part of the city. It was located on the city's lower West Side, an area where poverty is high and crime is very frequent.

On June 22, I covered a story about a fire in the city's Elmwood Village District near Buffalo State College where nearly a dozen animals were trapped. Just across the street from this block where the house is, are prominent mansions and "well to do people." There were cameras and photographers all around and even a news truck. It was a struggle to get a statement from anyone with the media fury.

So why, when people were trapped in this fire, was there no other media presence other than me? Did it have to do with the animals and the fact that they needed to be revived? Or was it because the house on Plymouth was not surrounded by rich people with mansions? I pick door number two. I just simply thought that the media had o interest because the house was in a neighborhood that was populated by mostly Hispanics and African Americans.

Of course its news when a house near mansions in a high tax crime-free area. Those "are good people." At least that's how the minds of the media work when it comes to a "who cares" prospective.

The point is, regardless of where the fire is and who or what is trapped inside, the firefighters fought just as hard to put this fire on Plymouth out as they did to put out the fire with the dozen animals inside. So in my eyes, there was no less of a reason that this fire was any more important than the last fire, and the firefighters should get the same recognition from the media on every fire.

Hail to NPOV.