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AIBU?

To think the drought in Africa should merit more news time?

41 replies

Dysgu · 05/07/2011 22:35

Was just watching ITV1 news with DP. First story, which had more than 10 minutes of the programme airtime, seemed to be the same story told by three different journalists and it seemed that the lack of a resignation by Rebekah Brooks was a bigger story than the original story. I know there are other threads about that horrendous situation.

However, in the 'highlights' at the start of the programme, the third story (after NotW and the death of a soldier in Afghanistan) it highlighted the plight of millions of people suffering the drought in East Africa. Charities are campaigning at what they say is the worst drought in a generation in an area where people are used to drought and famine. This story lasted for less than 2 minutes - of which some time was taken up with the delay in the link from the journalist in Africa.

AIBU in thinking that actually the story from Afghanistan and the story from Africa should both have merited more air time - especially when the first 10 minutes seemed to just be an 'anti-News International' and Rebekah Brooks story rather than the distress caused to 'real' people?

OP posts:

Report

GypsyMoth · 05/07/2011 22:53

yabu.....they have so much to fit in....they could have a news 'special' on this if required

worraliberty · 05/07/2011 22:58

I agree with Tiffany

mrsdonkeybucket · 05/07/2011 23:02

Yabu.

There is so much crap going on in our country at them moment, for multiple reasons, that I think we should sort our own shit out, rather than 'helping' others.

And it's not 'news'. These problems have been going on for decades.

Dysgu · 05/07/2011 23:02

Okay - thanks for the comments. I am fine with being told IABU.

OP posts:

mrsdonkeybucket · 05/07/2011 23:06

Don't mean to appear rude, but it's not news, is it ?

I would like to know what good it does, reporting it here (in the UK) ? A thread elsewhere today states that a lot of people are fed-up of being asked to help and be made aware of the situation, but it's been going on for so long.

I think people are rightly more concerned with Home Affairs and situations, to be honest.

mercibucket · 05/07/2011 23:09

well I would say yanbu except the stories today were worth the air time. yesterday however, was 'rich toffs land in Canada and do some prancing around in a helicopter and here's all the clothes the rich girl was wearing'. now that didn't deserve the airtime

incidentally, there's been very little about north korea (nothing?) on the tv but the situation there sounds pretty dire, even in comparison to the normal situation there.

mrsdonkeybucket · 05/07/2011 23:11

Agree, merci

North Korea is very scary.

I heard a little bit on lunchtime news, nothing on evening. Didn't see 10 o' clock ?

That's another place where no matter what various agencies say, you just know the food etc, wont go to help the people it should.

Tchootnika · 05/07/2011 23:14

Yes, East Africa drought deserves more news time.
But no, NoW story can't properly be described as just be an 'anti-News International' and Rebekah Brooks story rather than the distress caused to 'real' people
Um, there are quite a few 'real people' involved here... and doesn't your post suggest that your concerned with meedja responsibility, OP?
(Sorry, am sounding like bolshy 18yo. Time for bed. )

Good call, mercibucket, btw.

xkittyx · 05/07/2011 23:22

You are not being unreasonable and some the replies are deeply depressing. Human beings are potentially going to die en masse - it should be huge news. Compared to that, this country barely has "crap". Major perspective loss there I think.

Birdsgottafly · 05/07/2011 23:23

I don't watch the television news but the drought has rightly been all over the internet and in the papers.

It has been on broadcasts/podcasts and talked about in my DD's senior school.

The NoW interfered with crucial evidence in a murder case, so it needs to be front page.

I agree that the media highlights what they want, but i think that most people do not rely on one form of media, if they are interested in world wide events, if they aren't interested you could report it all you want, people are good at filtering out what doesn't interest them.

mrsdonkeybucket · 05/07/2011 23:31

xkittyx

I don't have a "major loss of perspective".

We do have "crap" in this country.

Human beings have been dying en masse for over 20 years, why has the help already given not made a difference ?

LadyBeagleEyes · 05/07/2011 23:36

It's been in every news I've seen over the last couple of days, it got more prominence yesterday.
I can't watch it tbh, there's so little I can do and looking at those starving children is heartbreaking.

bellabelly · 05/07/2011 23:41

Link to the Oxfam site if anyone reading this feels like donating...

Dysgu · 05/07/2011 23:41

Thank you for the comments.

I did not mean for my original post to come across as belittling the distress caused to the families by the phone hacking .. simply that the news this evening was far more centred on the reluctance/refusal of Rebekah Brooks to resign. The horrendous behaviour that led to extended distress to the families of Milly Dowler, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman was a very small part of the broadcast - the focus was on News International's closing-ranks around Rebekah Brooks.

That said, millions of people - who did not ask to be in the situation that they are in either- are really suffering and potentially going to die. I am not saying that this should have been the lead story (or the front page story) but I do feel it merits more than a brief couple of minutes (or a column inch on page 2).

OP posts:

A1980 · 06/07/2011 00:12

I remember watching Live Aid in 1985 when at primary school. Now over 25 years later it's the same story.

It isn't the case that I don't care, of course I do. But it's been a problem since I can remember and no amount of aid ever seems to be enough to fix the problem.

Also television isn't the only media available. I read a largish article in the news paper this morning. It was detailed enough to include a map of the region with the most critical areas highlighted.

Omigawd · 06/07/2011 00:14

Today YABU, the NoW story is serious for the UK, but yesterday would have been NU.

But the real news in the Horn of Africa is about why decades of aid is actually making it worse, but you seldom see that.

GothAnneGeddes · 06/07/2011 14:15

In terms of people dying, I think there should be more about Syria, but the news doesn't really want to cover it, because they can't get official footage.

I was surprised that recently ITV news have done a better job of covering Syria than Channel 4 news.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 06/07/2011 14:25

You're mixing up what's 'newsworthy' with what is 'worthy news'... Droughts and wars are long-running things, difficult to report for their entirety without becoming repetitive and dull. The Rebekah Wade scandal is a wham-bam shocker.

Nuttychic · 06/07/2011 14:39

YANBU it is very easy to sit there and not give a hoot about a country you have no reality on. Those people are wives/mothers/children to and I so wish people would attach human feeling/personality towards them instead of just "aw shame" and switch channels.

Oh and yes I live in Africa and we have done for 5 generations! We are no different to you! Same hopes, dreams, fears. Only difference is we live with (very real) fear and threat on a daily basis.

oohjarWhatsit · 06/07/2011 14:47

it happens regularly, and its a vicious circle of giving money and nothing being resolved

I dont know what the answer is, if there is one

PaintedToenails · 06/07/2011 14:58

It's not really news, is it. They've been having droughts in Africa for as long as I've been alive and I'm not sure what you expect us as a country to do about it.

Birdsgottafly · 06/07/2011 16:40

Perhaps buy and invest in fair trade products, campaign against the stock pilling of arable land so there is less for the population to farm. Stop the destruction of forest etc so the world eco system isn't frigged.

Africa supplies the world the one of the most (and more) sort after products, the cocoa bean, why are its people so poor?

MadYoungCatLady · 06/07/2011 16:45

The soldier in Afghan - is this the one who went off on his own or has another one been killed? :(

Birdsgottafly · 06/07/2011 17:43

There has been three killed

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 06/07/2011 17:50

YABU - the aid agencies have their own agendas and every summer the 'drought is the worst since, blah blah'. Droughts are not the casue of hunger in Africa, it is the endless conflicts and corruption. I notice Kenya as one of the places needing 'aid - Kenya is a wealthy country, with a thriving tourist industry, and also a thriving export industry,exporting vegetable and fruit, by air, to to the UK and other countries. How about some of that food is used to feed the indigenous population?

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