When I feel like writing a blog post, I simply go to CNN, find unintentional satire worthy of Swift, then write about it. Once again, as easy as taking candy from a baby. Full disclosure: taking candy from a baby is actually a bit difficult especially as the baby gets older.

So CNN’s big picture headline today was “Emergency rooms hit with flu ‘hysteria’“, a valid look at how the media coverage hype has been problematic for emergency rooms — so much so that some had to even temporarily shutdown to paramedics.

What could have caused this hysteria that made millions across the country fear for their life, about wide-scale collapse and death? A continuing news cycle of Swine Flu reminders, warnings, predictions, comparisons, and talk? What about calling it a pandemic then discussing other pandemics in more detail (see the headline at the bottom of the image to the right)?

Aren’t there more informative ways to discuss the dangers and risks in concert with what worried people should do? If this much attention were paid to our health care system, to pandemic prevention (recently laughed out of stimulus monies along party lines), to thousands who die of the regular flu — maybe substantive, investigative journalism could scare up policies and solutions.

We all lose when the press reports based on knee-jerk reactions of the day to day. What happens to issues that are long-term, policy-oriented, prevention-centric, and can’t be explained in 20 words or written about in an hour? Substantive stories tomorrow, substantive stories yesterday — but never substantive stories today…