Well boys and girls, I guess we got our wish. The NY Times has a long article on Rep. Horn's report card grading system for the Government's y2k compliance. Most agencies got lower grades this quarter than last quarter. One agency, FEMA however went from D- to A- . I think there is something ominous in FEMA's rapid improvement. Remember, they are the guys who are going to run the show WTSHTF. At any rate, now that the main stream media is waking up, look for the price of all those supplies that many of us have put off buying to go up. On the other hand, they might just go back to sleep.

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), June 03, 1998

Answers

Y2k hasn't yet hit as the media's flavor of the day. Clinton's fireside chat about it scheduled in August could put the bug at the top of the story list for a news cycle or two, but I don't see the critical mass in place yet for lengthy print/television attention. The media deals in crises, and even then only those that fit its profile, meaning stories that could affect the members of the media themselves. Remember, 55 people died in school shootings in 1992, only 25 in 1997, but suddenly all we're hearing about is the crisis of school violence, because suddenly it's nice suburban kids -- kids who could be the editor's/producer's sons or daughters -- shooting each other, not inner city gangbangers. The media needs a smoking gun, something concrete and immediate and of concern to the middle class. Until that happens, expect to see little of substance from newspapers and television -- and when it does, it'll be too late to do anything except feed the hysteria. Which brings up another point -- between 1992 and 1997, the number of homicides reported on the network news increased more than 750 percent even as the homicide rate in the United States was declining by 20 percent. "If it bleeds, it leads" is the new news philosophy. Television news, the unfortunate source of most people's world view, is no longer in the news business, it's in the fear business. So I'm not looking for a lot of reasoned analysis when y2k finally does hit the fan.

-- J.D. Clark (yankeejdc@aol.com), June 07, 1998.

I don't think Y2k will become a big issue until it reaches critical mass and it is too late (news seldom reports potential problems, only ones which are currently messing things up).

In addition, before Y2k erupts we have other looming crisis points - Japan, China, Russia, Asia, Middle East, Stock market fall, Presidential foibles, etc. If any big collapses happen here and the economy is affected, you may not hear about Y2k until Fall '99.

I think of Y2k as a volcano. The problem has been with us a long time. Some say it's due to erupt in 2000. We are beginning to see the lava flow, but it is a slow trickle so most people aren't worried yet. Some are going to ignore the facts and stay on the mountain. Soon we'll be seeing more smoke and the lava will start encroaching on our daily operations, but I don't think people will panic until the ground starts to shake and the top is about to blow.

-- Kay P (Y2Kay@usa.net), June 07, 1998.