Yet another reason for giving us CNNI or Sky News or BBC World

[mhking]

US coverage of the Asian earthquake disaster has been dismal at best. Newsworld International has not given us much, yet BBC World and Sky News have provided wall-to-wall coverage.

The 9.0 quake and 8.0+ aftershocks have generated multiple tsunamis that have swept over the eastern Indian basin and left more than 12,000 dead (as of 8P ET Sunday). CNN/US, MSNBC, FNC & NWI have had negligible coverage of the disaster, and of course, the broadcast networks have completely ignored the situation.

I've been watching BBC World online this afternoon (mms://mplay.donga.com/bbc - WMP), and I can't get over the pathetic display of ignoring international news that the US networks have shown.

 

[slacker9876]

That is terrible ... forget the satellite channels 12K, dead is plain depressing and awful

 

[mhking]

12K, dead is plain depressing and awful

Indeed.

 

[Phil T]

It seems every time I tune in to CNN or Fox all you get is their political babble. Here is a tragic event with international impact and no one is giving uninterrupted coverage.

 

[hdtvtechno]

That is terrible ... 12K, dead is plain depressing and awful

Yes

 

[hdtvtechno]

death toll upgraded to nearly 20.000

 

[Barney]

I also agree. 20,000+ lifes taken away & our News pays very little attention.
How sad

My wife is from the Philippines, so that part of the world is part of our lives also.

But 20,000+ lives lost, no matter where on Earth, is real sad. Alot of familys, gone........

Barney

 

[dturturro]

I also agree. 20,000+ lifes taken away & our News pays very little attention.
How sad

My wife is from the Philippines, so that part of the world is part of our lives also.

But 20,000+ lives lost, no matter where on Earth, is real sad. Alot of familys, gone........

Barney

As long as the general public allows itself to be programmed by mass media like Fox and CNN we will never see a change in how news gets covered. Jon Stewart was 100% correct when he blasted those idiots on Crossfire. As long as moronic shows like that, O'Reilly, Hannity, et al are getting good ratings the nets will never change. It really is sad!

 

[stevesmall]

sadly they expect the totals to rise above 35 thousand according to bbc radio

 

[CKNA]

As long as the general public allows itself to be programmed by mass media like Fox and CNN we will never see a change in how news gets covered. Jon Stewart was 100% correct when he blasted those idiots on Crossfire. As long as moronic shows like that, O'Reilly, Hannity, et al are getting good ratings the nets will never change. It really is sad!

Another comment from stupid left wing communist. What a hell does CNN have to do with them. Why doesn't CNN show more of the Tsunami disaster maybe then somebody will actually watch them.

 

[dturturro]

Another comment from stupid left wing communist. What a hell does CNN have to do with them. Why doesn't CNN show more of the Tsunami disaster maybe then somebody will actually watch them.

Another ring wing loser who can't even string together a coherent sentence. Buy a dictionary with your government aid money and look up coherent.

 

[silversurfer]

Lets keep on topic and avoid attacking other users or this thread will be closed....

 

[smolenski]

My CNN, Fox, MSNBC has been nothing but the devastation from the earthquake since the 26th.

 

[mhking]

My CNN, Fox, MSNBC has been nothing but the devastation from the earthquake since the 26th.

The three news networks did not start coverage in earnest until Monday.

 

[smolenski]

The extent of the disaster wasn't known on Sunday. I don't expect "every" single news channel to do wall to wall on something like this. With all the cable news there is never a lack of coverage. I think the CNN's, Fox's, and others have done as good a job as can be expected. I mean, how many time do you want to see the same footage.

 

[mhking]

The extent of the disaster wasn't known on Sunday. I don't expect "every" single news channel to do wall to wall on something like this.

I do.

BBC World went wall-to-wall. Sky News went wall-to-wall.

I would be willing to bet that CNN International went in that direction. But the attitude here is that it's only news if it happens inside our borders.

Pathetic.

 

[smolenski]

"BBC World went wall-to-wall. Sky News went wall-to-wall."

And CNN International went wall-to-wall. But, NWI(which is Canadian) didn't. For a true comparison, find out if BBC1 or 2 went wall-to-wall. I doubt it. And yes, I think any person cares about what happens in their country more. Nothing wrong with that.

Now you are just bashing what you perceive as "arrongant America".

 

[mhking]

And CNN International went wall-to-wall. But, NWI(which is Canadian) didn't.

Now you are just bashing what you perceive as "arrongant America".

Yet NWI is "supposed" to be an international news source.

My larger point is that D* should give us access to Sky and/or BBC World, but they can't/won't. I know that in Sky's case, FNC put the screws to them, afraid of cannibalization.

I don't know what the problem is as far as BBC World is concerned.

Am I bashing the country? Nope. I am bashing the MSM and their treatment of those of us who live here. Their arrogance is the problem here.

 

[cbearnm]

I don't think that the MSM should go wall to wall with this event, but I do agree that they are vastly under-reporting it.

I agree it is a horrific, tragic and senseless loss of life (approaching 100,000 now) but the bottom line is that it doesn't affect the day to day life in America. I know this sounds like the ugly arrogant American in me, but give me a second. I am sure that there are many thousands of Americans that are touched by this tragedy, either through family or friends. It was an act of nature and the proportions are already felt.

To me, the coverage is going to take on the voyeuristic aspect in the next couple of days. There will be images of the mass graves or corpses rotting in the sun that I frankly do not need to see. My imagination is every bit as real as these exploitive shots are.

That being said, I will reiterate, the MSM has been under-reporting it. This morning, one of the airhead morning shows covered it for 48 seconds. They then went into a story of more than 3 minutes about the latest incidents in Iraq (that affected 1/10,000th the number of people). Then they spent another 2 minutes on Scott Peterson and his attorney Garregos (sp?). I am fed up with hearing about Peterson. This is voyeurism at it's worst, but probably as much ink and film as the entire Iraqi regime change (let's not get into that discussion here, please).

So, mhking, I agree with you completely that there should be a lot more coverage, I just don't think it should be wall to wall. I think the 24 hour coverage of 9/11/01 contributed to the general malaise this country went through that fall. Once we are repeating the same three pieces of news ad infinitum, move on. The MSM, unforunately, still tends to help set the mood of the nation (Why I rarely watch them anymore).

Prayers and thoughts to the many lost in this disaster.

 

[mhking]

So, mhking, I agree with you completely that there should be a lot more coverage, I just don't think it should be wall to wall. I think the 24 hour coverage of 9/11/01 contributed to the general malaise this country went through that fall. Once we are repeating the same three pieces of news ad infinitum, move on. The MSM, unforunately, still tends to help set the mood of the nation (Why I rarely watch them anymore).

Prayers and thoughts to the many lost in this disaster.

That's fair.

And given that, you're right (although if I hear about Scott Peterson again, I'm gonna take a Louisville Slugger to somebody). I just wish that D* would get up off of their collective duffs and give us SOME kind of true international coverage.