Sandy Rosenthal's Blog, page 5

The Advocate Digs in Heels Disparaging Flood Survivors

New Orleans – Sept 11: A Chinook helicopter drops sand bags to plug a levee break on the east side of the London Avenue Canal. Photo/Jerry Grayson/Helifilms Australia PTY Ltd/Getty Images

Last week, we alerted you that an editor at The Advocate defended the newspaper’s omission of the words “federal levee failure” when writing about the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

This week, that same editor doubled down and took “umbrage” to our letters and stated that The Advocate‘s staffers “deserve better from the audience they serve…”

Bottom line, the editor has told two subscribers––in writing––that there’s no need to mention federal levee failure when writing about the 2005 flooding that took the lives of 1,392 people.

FACT: The editor admitted to using Katrina “shorthand.”
FACT: Years ago, the Associated Press issued a style guide to all its reporters worldwide alerting them that when writing about the 2005 flooding of New Orleans, they must add that levee failure played a major role.

If you haven’t yet, use this LINK and send an email to Senior Editor Rene Sanchez and request that The Advocate issue a style guide to its reporters stating that whenever writing about the flooding of New Orleans, they must add that levee failure played a major role.

Best if you click by 5:00p Fri Feb 14.

Resources:
Email string between the Opinion Page Editor at The Advocate and Ms. Catherine Wells
The AP’s Katrina memo to reporters worldwide
Recent Advocate story that uses Katrina shorthand

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Editor at The Advocate has Unusual Response to a Subscriber

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Anthony Bertucci calls in the status of the floodwall at London Avenue Canal’s upper breach near Robert E. Lee Boulevard.

Recently, an editor at The Advocate told one of its subscribers that there’s no need to mention federal levee failure when writing about the 2005 flooding that took the lives of 1,392 people.

The Editor was responding to a Letter-to-the-Editor from Cathy Hightower, a 50-year subscriber whose father perished in the flooding.

In an email, the Editor told Ms. Hightower that when The Advocate says “Katrina devastated New Orleans” that it’s a “shorthand.”

The Editor didn’t stop there. The Editor also added “…we don’t explain why the sky is blue when we write about the weather.”

FACT: The Editor admitted to using Katrina Shorthand.FACT: Years ago, the Associated Press issued a memo to its reporters worldwide alerting them that when writing about the 2005 flooding of New Orleans, they must add that levee failure played a major role.FACT: The local Weekly Gambit issued a similar memo in 2010.

Now approaching the 20th anniversary of the levee breaches during Katrina, The Advocate has still not issued such a memo. We think it’s time they do!

Levees.org issued a Call to Action to its supporter base asking them to use this LINK and send an email to Senior Editor Rene Sanchez and request that The Advocate issue a memo like the Associated Press did.

We at Levees.org also have a hard time grasping why an editor of the Advocate would speak to a flood survivor and 50-year subscriber the way they did.

Additional Resources:
Email string between Ms. Hightower and an Editor at The Advocate
The Associated Press’s Katrina memo to reporters worldwide
The Advocate story that uses Katrina Shorthand

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Founder Rosenthal speaks with visitors from Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique and Angola

Sandy Rosenthal, 4th from right, poses with visitors from Portuguese speaking countries at the Flooded House Museum in New Orleans.

Recently, founder Sandy Rosenthal met with a group on a study tour related to Transparency & Accountability in Government. This delegation is made of twelve international leaders from Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique and Angola.

Rosenthal spoke to the group about Levees.org’s work in exposing the Army Corps of Engineers levee building mistakes and its campaign after H. Katrina to cover them up.

The presentation was organized through the Global New Orleans which is a nonprofit organization that arranges professional appointments and cultural activities for over 500 international leaders sent to New Orleans annually by the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program and other programs.

As one of approximately 90 councils nationwide, and the only council in Louisiana, the Global New Orleans aims to promote cross-cultural relationships and mutual understanding.

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At 19th anniversary of the worst engineering failure in US history

It is now the 19th anniversary of the worst engineering failure in U.S. history––the failure of federal levees during Hurricane Katrina.

Levees.org has made huge strides in its mission to alter the narrative about the flooding catastrophe. Two of the most important accomplishments:

Water Policy––the official journal of the World Water Council––published a groundbreaking article (co-written by H.J. Bosworth of Levees.org) that retracted wrong conclusions about the levee failures and replaced them with the accurate conclusions (2015).

The Associated Press, upon Levees.org’s urging, issued a rare style guide change. In 2022, the AP sent a memo to its reporters worldwide requesting them to include levee failure when mentioning the August 2005 flooding in New Orleans.

But as usual, Levees.org does not rest, because the survivors deserve it.

At the 19th anniversary, Levees.org rolled out a logo and website for a critically needed public safety campaign that it launched one year ago.

The campaign calls for all students in the US working toward their Bachelor’s in engineering to receive instruction on failures and the lessons learned.

Meanwhile, the petition continues to collect signatures from the citizens-at-large.

Levees.org’s work isn’t over. And all eyes will be on New Orleans from now until the upcoming 20th anniversary.

Other links:
Journal article in Water Policy.
Style guide change at Associated Press.

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Founder Rosenthal is recipient of Editor’s Choice Award of Literary Excellence from Reader’s House

On August 19, 2024, founder Sandy Rosenthal was informed that she has been selected as one of the recipients of the Editor’s Choice Award of Literary Excellence by Reader’s House magazine.

The award was given for Rosenthal’s authoring Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina (Mango Media, 2020)

According to the UK-based magazine, this award is bestowed upon a select number of esteemed authors who have made significant contributions to the literary community

“Your contribution to the literary world is invaluable, and we believe that your words have the power to touch the hearts and minds of readers around the globe, writes Anna Harlowe with Reader’s House Magazine. “Your dedication to your craft is evident in every word you write, and it’s a privilege for us to be able to share your story with our audience.”

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Mango Publishers announces Second Edition of Words Whispered in Water

Marking the 19th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the fourth year since Levees.org Founder Sandy Rosenthal’s book was published, Mango Publishers announces a new Second Edition of Words Whispered in Water: Why the Levees Broke in Hurricane Katrina.

The second edition, to be released in July, 2025 with pre-orders starting in February, will have a new cover and forward.

Hard cover copies of the first edition have sold out, according to Mango, though audio and kindle versions of the first edition are available on Amazon.com and in some bookstores.

“Since 62 percent of the nation’s population lives in counties protected by levees, this story is still relevant as we experience more frequent and more rapidly intensifying hurricanes,” said Rosenthal. “We’re talking about 201 million people.”

Words Whispered in Water has won multiple awards, been reviewed by Publishers Weekly and featured at the Louisiana and New Orleans Book Festivals.

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Founder briefs membership on NYT’s response to request

On May 29, 2024, days before the start of hurricane season, Levees.org mobilized its membership to contact the New York Times.

Nearly 150 people requested that the news house use the right words to describe the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina.

The request was reasonable and polite. The request also included a complimentary word of kudos to the NYT for doing a Sunday 2015 story that pointed blame in its proper place – the US Army Corps of Engineers.The Levees.org leadership was hoping for discussion of the request, which would lead to changes to the NYT’s style guide. Specifically, it was hoped that the news house would issue an alert to all its reporters, when writing about the flooding of New Orleans in August 2005, to include mention of levee failure.

At  a bare minimum, Levees.org expected to hear a reply from Mr. Kahn even if it was not the outcome had hoped for. So we were surprised when we did not even receive an acknowledgement of the request.At this time, let’s remember the huge successes we did have over the past 19 years toward changing the narrative of the New Orleans flood from mother nature to engineering failure.The Army Corps of Engineers tried to keep its $186 billion failure out of the public eye and away from Congress. They did not get away with it.The post Founder briefs membership on NYT’s response to request first appeared on Levees.Org.

Founder Rosenthal featured by National Society of Leadership & Success

This week, founder Sandy Rosenthal is featured on Motivational Mondays with Corey Powell in an episode for the National Society of Leadership and Success.

Rosenthal discusses several important issues including why criticism should be welcomed and how to respond to it effectively.

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Founder Rosenthal featured in Power Poll

This month, founder Sandy Rosenthal was featured in the Drew Broach’s PowerPoll.

Power Poll was founded in 2019 as a civic engagement platform that brings together the most influential and powerful leaders across business, civic, media and political industries.

This month, Rosenthal responded to this question: Should Republican Gov. Jeff Landry merge the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority into the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, and add three gubernatorial appointments to the agency’s governing board?

Rosenthal responded: “The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority was created for the people of Louisiana to protect their way of life and to assure the best possible flood protection. CPRA is highly effective due to its stand-alone structure. Merging CPRA with the Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources is a dangerous move, which will harm the safety of Louisiana residents.”

See the full article. 

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Founder Rosenthal’s podcast ranking has risen again

Founder Sandy Rosenthal’s podcast––called Beat the Big Guys––has a global rank in the top 1.5% according to Listen Notes.

Rosenthal is creator and host of the weekly show where along with her executive producer Landry Bohn, she coaches her national audience on how to ‘beat the big guys’ in their own communities and improve quality of life.

To provide tools and tips for her audience, Rosenthal interviews a weekly guest. She also pulls information from her own experience, namely when she exposed the Army Corps of Engineers campaign to silence her after the levees broke in New Orleans in August of 2005.

SEE RANKING ON LISTEN NOTES.

ACCESS THE BEAT THE BIG  GUYS PODCAST SHOW.

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