Two days ago I was reading a local news website when I saw the terrible news that an explosion had happened in the middle of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. Four persons died and many were injured. The explosion was traced to a gas leak in the building. My heart goes out the the victims and the injured and their families.
Several days after the terrorist attack in Boston there was a terrible explosion in Waco, Texas with many deceased and many people injured. The death toll was more than that of the Boston marathon. I was saddened too by that accident.
But what amazed me was the response of the media. I scoured American media websites looking for any reports on the explosion in Prague and found one minor article on NBC news. Since there have only been minor articles posted on the incident.
The same goes for the Waco explosion. It was featured more in media for the first two days but then there were no more reports of it. None.
Obama has not commented on it or even visited the site, there has been no outpour of grief in the media or from the public. there have been no national memorial services held.
And I wonder why
There was a a great response to the events in Boston where three people died, two Americans and a Chinese citizen and an outpour of grief. Yet I noticed one glaring disparity. All the grief was directed towards the two Americans that died, in blogs, media, everything (save one article on NBC) I have seen articles on remembering the Boston victims where the Chinese citizen that dies wasn't even mentioned! Was her death somehow less significant and less worthy to be remembered because she wasn't an American?
And what about the victims of Waco? I have yet to see any remembrance of the events that happened there that have changed a community for ever. It is somehow as if it isn´t really worthy of the time of the media or of the public to acknowledge these events or offer their support.
And what about the explosion in Prague? It had the same death toll as the events in Boston and yet it is barely mentioned on the news. It is as if it does not matter.
The best reason I can think of why the events in Prague and Waco are not mentioned more in media and why people just don't seem to care is because these were not acts of terrorism. In both cases, things occurred because of a tragic accident. And apparently, accidents are not worth our time or worth the media writing about because they are not news of sensation. There is no terrorist to be hunted down, no impending national security danger, no people to blame. Only hurt, terror, loss, communities left in ruins and wounds that will never fully heal.
But ya know, unless it's terrorism it just ain't worth writing or caring about. People's death doesn't matter, communities ruined doesn't matter, terror and pain doesn't matter if it's caused by an accident. Then it's insignificant and not worthy of our time. There were earthquakes in Pakistan and in China at the same day the Boston events happened and media barely cared.
It is frustrating beyond imagination knowing we all live in a world where media only cares about news when it's sensational, when victims only matter when they die due to terrorism. Anything beyond that are insignificant deaths not worth reporting or caring about. Because we are only affected by sensation it seems. The rest is insignificant.
And in case you think I am only down on American media. Trust me, the media in my own country is even worse.
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