Why are disasters so good for some?

Have you ever wondered about just how excited media outlets and politicians get about disasters? Is it their chance to be seen, to try and outdo the rest and gain an audience? Is it a chance for a politician to be seen actually doing something?

Can a politician do anything in a disaster other than take time out of the days of emergency workers he/she visits? Can what they are doing be better done from their office? Is it just that they want to be seen as caring and supportive and to avoid accusations of the opposite?

Is the excitement shown by journalists and anchors in over-reaching with, and over-using, words like 'catestrophic', 'unprecedented' etc almost palpable, or am I just a cynic?