Media Behind Exodus?

Posted @ Nov. 04 2011 06:11AM by Michael A. Sand - city-beat

In the midst of Harrisburg’s fiscal crisis, the media once again seems to be exacerbating the problem. Each night, TV reporters are going up and down Second Street trying to find business people and residents who will tell viewers they are preparing to leave town. Need proof? Just turn on the evening news.

In this case, I fear we should all be aware of the phrase “self-fulfilling prophesy?” 

Residents who love Harrisburg and never considered another home are now actually contemplating leaving; not because their taxes were raised, but because of the seeds of frenzy planted by the media.

When the Three Mile Island mishap occurred in 1979, the media acted in the same manner. They interviewed residents and instilled the fear of, “If you stay here, you are running the risk of getting cancer.” That, naturally evolved into the question, “Why would you continue living in Harrisburg when it is so dangerous here?”

Fortunately,  during and following TMI, residents and businesspeople did not heed the media’s sensationalism and refused to flock elsewhere en masse. Though obviously frightened by the very real calamity at their doorsteps, most chose to remain  in their homes, stood resolute throughout the crisis, and the Harrisburg area continued to prosper.

We have a wonderful city here, folks.  We have the benefits of small town living which includes open space, quick commutes to work, and reasonable taxes without the hassles of a big city’s massive traffic jams, high crime and exorbitant taxes. We each; by living here and doing business here, have contributed to the very fabric of this city.

So with that said, I implore local businesses and residents to remain steadfast through the current fiscal crisis while not buying into the sensationalistic whims of the media. By staying and seeing the crisis through, we will continue to live, and eventually thrive, in this wonderful city we call home.