A Response from former CBS Anchor Rolland Smith

Dear friends:

I have received the response to my article, “Nuclear Disasters and the Danger of a Marginalized Media“, from the eminent international journalist, Mr. Rolland Smith, former co-host of The CBS Morning Program and the recipient of eleven Emmy awards.

Several decades ago Rolland pushed the idea of tackling human and natural disasters by connecting the world top quality experts from the different locations via satellite. He is one of few media persons I have met who has always looked at our human issues in a larger perspective. I was encouraged by his comments for the great need to join our heads together to find an innovative solution to bring Fukushima under control.  I think his global views as journalist would greatly contribute to bring to the attention of our media colleagues this potential catastrophe we have never faced.

Akio  

Dear Akio,

I have followed your posts on the Fukushima nuclear tsunami disaster. They are informative and contagious in their importance. Radiation contamination is not only a local, regional and a national tragedy for Japan it also has an exponential global effect.

I am disappointed that the global media has not latched onto this tragedy and problem in ways that would pressure governments, businesses and scientists to work under the aegis of truth in order to find innovative solutions to bring Fukushima under control.

Blame and false assurances are not important and are destructive at this stage. Complete cooperation in the sharing of knowledge is the only way Fukushima can be safely neutralized thereby preventing further tragedy to the people of Japan and subsequently to the world.

I urge every journalist everywhere to look at the facts and the prognostications of continuing danger from the experts and bring their stories to the attention of the world’s people. Together we can solve this problem; alone we have our heads in the sand.

It is time for the nuclear ostriches to acknowledge all facts and dangers and open themselves to global cooperation otherwise we are all in peril.

Thank you Akio for your good work.
Rolland G. Smith – journalist

Rolland Smith has nearly 50 years of broadcast and television production experience. He is former news anchor for CBS-TV in New York and at super station WWOR-TV in New York.

Currently he is writing and anchoring documentaries for independent television outlets. He also writes a daily blog on topics of interest from poetry to politics. Log into www.rollandsmith.blogspot.com.