Oh what a perfect clip for GetReligion.
You have to watch it to get the full gist but CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer is, above, interviewing Oklahoma tornado survivor Rebecca, holding her son Anders. (Full interview here.) Then, as transcribed by Politico:
Blitzer: We're happy you're here. You guys did a great job. I guess you got to thank the Lord. Right?
Survivor: Yeah.
Blitzer: Did you thank the Lord for that split-second decision?
Survivor: I -- I'm actually an atheist.
Blitzer: You are. All right. But you made the right call.
Survivor: Yeah. We are here. And you know, I don't blame anybody for thanking the Lord.
Blitzer: Of course not.
Is this not a perfect example of why yes/no questions are a bad idea? I mean, it turned out all right. In fact, the survivor's response is what made this such an interesting interview, despite Blitzer's best attempts. But what was he expecting to have someone say?
Also, though, while I object to the form of the question and how it gave too much direction to the respondent, I do find it interesting how this question rests in the general sector of "journalists are weird about religion and disasters" that I've noticed over the years. My favorite recent example was from another CNN interview. It was back in February and the legendary Poop Cruise had finally docked. CNN was ignoring the Gosnell trial but, for some reason, doing round-the-clock coverage of the survivors of the Poop Cruise. But when two survivors tried to say what Scripture verse had sustained them during their journey, they were cut off. It was weird.
Anyway, the vast majority of the time the problem with how religion is treated in disaster interviews is that the reporters behave as if religion plays no role in sustaining people during their time of need. Perhaps it's the loving way in which the atheist here answered the question, but I found it oddly interesting and comforting to see that religious adherents and skeptics alike get the silly questions that make assumptions about belief or non-belief.
Another interview I want to highlight was aired on CBS. I can't stop thinking about it. The reporter is speaking to an older woman who lost her entire house while she sat in it. She is battered and bruised but she rather cheerfully describes what she went through and talks about how she knows she lost her dog under the ruins. A few minutes into the interview, someone off camera says "A dog!" The interview subject then realizes that her precious dog is alive and she asks for help getting him out of the rubble. She's so very happy. And then she says, unprompted:
"Well I thought God just answered one prayer to let me be OK, but He answered both of them. Because this was my second prayer."
It's a powerful moment and it was captured simply by letting someone speak freely about a dramatic moment.