Lesson 1: Haiti and Gaza Are Not the Same
Many of you also probably received the "disproportionate response" e-mails making the rounds concerning Israel's aid to Haiti. I think the above article proves that directly linking Israeli aid to Haiti with the Palestinian conflict is unsophisticated public diplomacy and likely to backfire. The two issues – Haiti and the Palestinians – should not be mixed up. Israeli aid to Haiti is a powerful enough story to stand on its own.
Lesson 2: The Disaster Pool
Too many parachute journalists in Haiti are redundant, even unintentionally contributing to immediate problems. A possible solution: a disaster pool, similar to the pooled coverage and shared resources now working reasonably well for White House reporters.
