In wake of the California earthquakes, news has been all about hyping up the worry over “the big one.” While small threads of truth lie underneath the layers of “OMG WE R ALL GOING TO DIE!!!” portrayed by the news, I feel that some things are just ridiculous hyped up.

Take for instance, this morning watching Good Morning America. Of course, the main story was the earthquakes in California. However, in hyping up the fear factor of the 5.4-5.8 they show scenes of the general public doing what they do in an earthquake (as they were taught). Some where running to door jams, outside, and getting under desks. This is where the news, taking their slight of mouth, tweak a sentence in such a way to portray a totally different feel to the story.

They casually mention everyone running to their spots in terror and then made the comment, “…children even hid under their desks…” while flashing up a picture of children huddled under their school desks. BAM! Oh my god, not the children! Look at their terrified eyes! The apocalypse is here!

Now let me change the apocalyptic event and location of a disaster. Say… well… say “tornadic” weather was about in Kentucky and the following day, news from another area shows cameras showing people huddling in closets and tornado shelters. Then they flash a picture of two children in a bath tub with a mattress over their heads and say, “… they even hid in tubs with mattresses over their heads…” OH NOES!!! That’s terrible!!

No… no its not.

IT IS WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.