On my way home from work today, I caught a story on NPR about the devastating earthquake in China. I was thrown for just a moment — how are these reporters talking about the earthquake as though they had been there themselves?

As it turns out, Robert Seigel, Melissa Block and their team have been in town since May 8 doing other reporting and just happened to experience this international news story firsthand.

It is fascinating to read their thoughts on what has happened in China since the earthquake hit. This certainly isn’t being in the right place at the right time, but it allows for an opportunity to bring a personal perspective to breaking news and demonstrates what a timely tool a blog can be.

P.S. Their notes mention a Red Cross outpost in the downtown area. Read more about what the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Red Cross Society of China are doing to respond.

Photo by Art Silverman, NPR