Monday
Sep202010
News Cycles
Monday, September 20, 2010 at 5:04AM
I want to use this blog post to talk about some of the stories which are reasonably prominent articles on a variety of current affairs websites, yet somehow seem to get lost in the news cycles, or do not receive the full attention which they deserve, because other stories drown them out, or they got lost amongst the shuffle.
Take the Chilean Miners for example, trapped underground for weeks, and still a long way off freedom. Sure, there have been a large number of articles about their plight; first the explosion which caved them in; next the news that men had been discovered alive; the discovery of how long they would be trapped; their first hot meal... etc. And yet I still feel that people aren't talking about this as much as they should. Time magazine featured a two page article on it. Only two pages, when this claustrophobic story of survival, endurance, and hope, should really be front cover worthy. For a start, I cannot fathom how these 30 guys are still trapped down there, with all the modern technology and equipment at our disposal. If they survived the cave-in, with a big enough area from 30 of them to walk around in, why can't rescue teams clear a way to the entrance? Instead, they have 3 rescue plans in action, involving drilling a variety of holes. Plan B has reached the miners, but must now be widened. Best estimates at getting the men out will be Mid-November.
Imagine being trapped down in a hole for 3 months. It really is like something out of a horror film. I cannot even begin to process how those guys must be coping, what they must do with their time. What this ordeal must be doing to these guys psychologically is incredible. 24 hours a day, same small, cramped location, same sweaty, smelly work colleagues, who may or may not even like each other. Thankfully, they have lights now, so they can distinguish between night and day. But again, if they can get lights down there, how come they can't get them out?
Can you imagine the rush of euphoria those guys will feel when they finally make it out of there? Jubilation at escaping alive. Yet I think it will also be a bittersweet, strange, emotional time too; the friendship bonds these men will have made with each other will surely last a lifetime. They will also have to readjust to real life too, having lived in their own unique society, with the rules which they created, for over 3 months. Spare a thought too for the bloke who either volunteers, or is forced in a Lord of the Flies style uprising to remain in the hole till the very last. The last one to be lifted out of there, left on his own for probably a couple of hours. Wow that would be scary, alone in a hole, with only your thoughts for company. Here's hoping everything goes well.
The BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is another news story which I feel has been under-reported, though I think some people may argue with me on this point. My basis for feeling like this is that all told, the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig is the worst offshore disaster in the history of the United States. Worst ever. Yet I cannot help but feel that this fact has not been pressed upon me, when it should have been. The reporting I have seen, over the past 5 months, does not seem to have amounted to what one would expect for the worst oil disaster ever. Previous disasters, where oil tankers ran aground- the Exxon Valdez for example- earned far more coverage about the devastation that occurred. I wasn't even alive when that happened, yet I know all about it. Will children in twenty years time know about Deepwater Horizon? For some reason I think not.
Of course, this may be because we have simply become exceedingly efficient at cleaning up the mess, and reducing the effect on wildlife and the economy. However this is not the case for the Gulf, as millions of barrels of oil have spilled into the ocean, washing up all along the Louisianan, Texan, Georgian and Floridian coastlines. The cost impact on the local economy has been horrendous. Think about that, then imagine the impact on wildlife. Astronomical. Yet again, I feel these facts have not been impressed upon us.
And is it just me, but does the fact that it has taken 2 days shy of 5 months to finally shut off the leak seem absolutely pathetic to you?
In the twenty-four hour media age in which we live, it is only natural that stories are turned over incredible fast, as editors fill continuous deadlines with new and interesting articles. And there is probably a large number of archived articles detailing the effects of these events in greater detail. My point is they should be more prominent. The problem remains of course, as to who defines which news stories are important, and worthy of extra attention. That's a question for Nicole's journalism class. Unless of course you watch Fox News, in which case you already know that the most important news stories are those which cause the most stirs and provoke the most outrages. Ah Fox News and their sensationalist reporting; free press huh!
On a lighter note; Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury in a biopic- genius. If anyone can play Freddie's extravagant ways, he can.
Take the Chilean Miners for example, trapped underground for weeks, and still a long way off freedom. Sure, there have been a large number of articles about their plight; first the explosion which caved them in; next the news that men had been discovered alive; the discovery of how long they would be trapped; their first hot meal... etc. And yet I still feel that people aren't talking about this as much as they should. Time magazine featured a two page article on it. Only two pages, when this claustrophobic story of survival, endurance, and hope, should really be front cover worthy. For a start, I cannot fathom how these 30 guys are still trapped down there, with all the modern technology and equipment at our disposal. If they survived the cave-in, with a big enough area from 30 of them to walk around in, why can't rescue teams clear a way to the entrance? Instead, they have 3 rescue plans in action, involving drilling a variety of holes. Plan B has reached the miners, but must now be widened. Best estimates at getting the men out will be Mid-November.
Imagine being trapped down in a hole for 3 months. It really is like something out of a horror film. I cannot even begin to process how those guys must be coping, what they must do with their time. What this ordeal must be doing to these guys psychologically is incredible. 24 hours a day, same small, cramped location, same sweaty, smelly work colleagues, who may or may not even like each other. Thankfully, they have lights now, so they can distinguish between night and day. But again, if they can get lights down there, how come they can't get them out?
Can you imagine the rush of euphoria those guys will feel when they finally make it out of there? Jubilation at escaping alive. Yet I think it will also be a bittersweet, strange, emotional time too; the friendship bonds these men will have made with each other will surely last a lifetime. They will also have to readjust to real life too, having lived in their own unique society, with the rules which they created, for over 3 months. Spare a thought too for the bloke who either volunteers, or is forced in a Lord of the Flies style uprising to remain in the hole till the very last. The last one to be lifted out of there, left on his own for probably a couple of hours. Wow that would be scary, alone in a hole, with only your thoughts for company. Here's hoping everything goes well.
The BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is another news story which I feel has been under-reported, though I think some people may argue with me on this point. My basis for feeling like this is that all told, the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig is the worst offshore disaster in the history of the United States. Worst ever. Yet I cannot help but feel that this fact has not been pressed upon me, when it should have been. The reporting I have seen, over the past 5 months, does not seem to have amounted to what one would expect for the worst oil disaster ever. Previous disasters, where oil tankers ran aground- the Exxon Valdez for example- earned far more coverage about the devastation that occurred. I wasn't even alive when that happened, yet I know all about it. Will children in twenty years time know about Deepwater Horizon? For some reason I think not.
Of course, this may be because we have simply become exceedingly efficient at cleaning up the mess, and reducing the effect on wildlife and the economy. However this is not the case for the Gulf, as millions of barrels of oil have spilled into the ocean, washing up all along the Louisianan, Texan, Georgian and Floridian coastlines. The cost impact on the local economy has been horrendous. Think about that, then imagine the impact on wildlife. Astronomical. Yet again, I feel these facts have not been impressed upon us.
And is it just me, but does the fact that it has taken 2 days shy of 5 months to finally shut off the leak seem absolutely pathetic to you?
In the twenty-four hour media age in which we live, it is only natural that stories are turned over incredible fast, as editors fill continuous deadlines with new and interesting articles. And there is probably a large number of archived articles detailing the effects of these events in greater detail. My point is they should be more prominent. The problem remains of course, as to who defines which news stories are important, and worthy of extra attention. That's a question for Nicole's journalism class. Unless of course you watch Fox News, in which case you already know that the most important news stories are those which cause the most stirs and provoke the most outrages. Ah Fox News and their sensationalist reporting; free press huh!
On a lighter note; Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury in a biopic- genius. If anyone can play Freddie's extravagant ways, he can.
Reader Comments (1)
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-9/1071897/FreddieSasha.jpg
totally going to work! He's got the look at least, but let's hope the acting too. Definitely excited!