Research shows that American's give generously to disaster areas as long as the story is still in the media. However, once the media coverage dies down within 24 hours we stop giving and move on to the next story. Did you donate time, materials, or money to the people of Joplin, MO? Explain. Personally, I donated a large bag of dry dog food and cat food to an organization that is rescuing lost dogs and cats in Joplin.