News

[poliphilo]

As soon as Egypt exploded the TV news stopped bothering with Tunisia and as soon as Libya exploded the TV news stopped bothering with Egypt. 

The pictures coming out of Libya are still dramatic enough to hold the attention of the broadcasters, but only just- and they've been pushed way down the agenda by the troubles in Japan. 

This isn't journalism, it's tornado chasing. 

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Yes - I'm afraid on the day of the tsunami it went through my head that Col. Gaddafi would be think what an excellent day it would be to bury bad news (or citizens).

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It certainly takes the heat off him- as far as world opinion is concerned.

We've stopped worrying about Arab liberties and are worrying about the future of the nuclear industry instead.

[shullie.livejournal.com]

I said the same... Gaddafi can do pretty much what he wants now, no one's really looking any more!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

And if he wins, does the rest of the world say, "Sorry about all the mean things we said about you, old chap. That was a misunderstanding. Now lets do business again." ?

[shullie.livejournal.com]

sadly I think that is more than likely....

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

That's a very good definition (tornado chasing).

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I considered ambulance chasing as an alternative :)

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

The phrase you used yesterday - 'snuff movie' - is also very apt.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Mike tells me that the coverage on Japanese TV is full of images of dead bodies.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

You'd think 24-hour news reporting would allow sufficient time to keep an eye on all the major disasters/news going on. :,

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But it doesn't. A big story comes along and that's all the channels have time for- even when developments are so sparse they're reduced to repeating themselves every few minutes

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I don't understand this impulse at all. :/

[calizen.livejournal.com]

Our 24-hr news is filled with people screaming at each other. It's a wonder any news gets reported.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Where are you? I'm in the US. :,

[calizen.livejournal.com]

U.S. also. Lots of time I just turn it off and go garden.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

Honestly I don't watch it. I get a precis of what's going on from friends and ignore everything else. Affecting my local environment uses up enough of my emotional/physical energy without flailing about what's going on in countries I can't do anything in.

I sometimes feel like this is an exceptionally provincial attitude. I remember feeling smugly superior to parents who said they have too much to do without sending money to Egypt or doing charity for Japan. Now that I have a kid, I suddenly realize how much energy it takes just to be a sane mother and good role model, and as always, another one of my young adult fantasies is dashed by experience. :,

[calizen.livejournal.com]

Regarding being overwhelmed by the news, the late great Brit, Alistair Cooke once wrote: "“In the best of times, our days are numbered anyway. So it would be a crime against nature for any generation to take the world crisis so solemnly, that it put off enjoying those things for which we were designed in the 1st place: the opportunity to do good work, to enjoy friends, to fall in love, to hit a ball, and to bounce a baby.”

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I love Alastair Cooke. I grew up listening to his weekly radio broadcast "Letter from America".

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I watch the BBC 24 hour news service. They don't scream at one another- but the coverage is pretty shallow.

[calizen.livejournal.com]

Pretty frightful, isn't it.

[daisytells.livejournal.com]

"tornado chasing" -- I like that image. Proper reporting would not let one story die altogether simply because another big story comes along. The question remains: How do we get up to date reporting on continuing stories?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Sadly, proper reporting is a minority interest- and doesn't pay.

[calizen.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the poor folks in Christ Church, NZ.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes- they're old news now...

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

At some point, crisis fatigue is going to set in, and we're all going to shrug and return to cultivating our own vegetable marrows.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

For some reason "people put things back together again after crisis" isn't newsworthy. I'd really like to know how Egypt is shaping up after its revolution, but I'm not finding much in even the serious-minded newspapers.

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

Glad you mentioned this. Two points. First (minor) the war in Libya got bogged down and it isn't "news" to say "The front line at Sidi Biriyani did not move today". Second, far more importantly...the west is allowing the Libyan resistance to hang out to dry. Has any chinless wonder in Whitehall (or US equivalent) sussed out that IF/WHEN they win the west will be OUT?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

But will it? Gaddafi's successors will still have oil to sell.

[ron-broxted.livejournal.com]

Yes oil revenue is a major point but look at it this way, if you had been shot to bits whilst the west dithered (tacitly supported Gadhafi) would you be rushing to be pro-western? Taliban's golden moment.

[internet-sampo.livejournal.com]

Yes, this is the normal state of affairs.

Here in the US we are seeing the beginnings of the biggest change in the economic system in 60 years in Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio and the news is wall to wall Charlie Sheen.

panem et circenses

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

A properly informed population is dangerous to those in power.

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

Aptly put, and I agree completely.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

I have been watching al-Jazeera English and find their coverage surprisingly well balanced. I would actually get annoyed when they pulled away from quake coverage to report the latest outrage from Libya -- or Cote D'Ivoire, I bet the BBC hasn't been showing people being burnt alive, there, by pro-presidential forces, have they?

The BBC has Rupert Murdoch breathing down their neck and have suffered budget cuts accordingly. It is not surprising that they are going the way of American media and for much the same reasons.