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AIBU?

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Original poster

to think that nearly 200 people being killed in Nigeria should be more newsworthy

292 replies

ElaineBenes · 23/01/2012 20:24

What happened in Kano over the weekend is not even on the front pages of the so called international news websites like the BBC. I've had to search for any reporting on it.

Can you imagine if such a thing had happened to people in a rich country?

I think it's really sad that Africans dying isn't considered newsworthy. Are we really that racist?

OP posts:
mojitomania · 23/01/2012 21:09

You tell me FallenMadonna.

These threads just tend to get ridiculous. Everyone shouting at each other. I'm not here for a nasty debate.

Carry on.....

FlangelinaBallerina · 23/01/2012 21:10

It would probably be more newsworthy elsewhere too. Dead English people would likely get more coverage than dead Nigerian ones, even on the other side of the world. There are reasons for this.

As for corruption in Nigeria, it's certainly a big problem there, but I'm baffled as to what that has to do with anything? I could name a lot of other facts about Nigeria that are also completely irrelevant. But I wouldn't, because they're completely irrelevant.

NoWayNoHow · 23/01/2012 21:10

Another case in point, OP - the atrocities of 9/11. Almost 4,000 people died that day. Front page news, top end of the bulletins, for weeks and weeks on end, and rightly so.

4,000 across Africa died that day too. And the day after. And the day after that. And every single day since.

No one reports that. I think it's referred to as "compassion fatigue" - there's only so many dying children we can see before we stop caring in order to protect ourselves.

OldMumsy · 23/01/2012 21:11

Listened to an entire piece on this on R4 Today programme and Islam was not mentioned once. I was left wondering who was persecuting all these poor Christians, decided it had to be the zoroastrians. Did you know the name Boko Haram translates to something like Western eduction is a sin?! Confused

So I don't think it is not reported because it's Africa, it's because it's the Religion of Peace at it again.

mojitomania · 23/01/2012 21:14

Interesting statement. So your perception is that you must be white to be English?

Here we go again.... Depends how far you go back.

Nothing wrong with being proud of you, whatever your colour.

OriginalJamie · 23/01/2012 21:15

Monica was meant to be mojo

No one is shouting

TheFallenMadonna · 23/01/2012 21:15

You want me to tell you your point Confused?

mojitomania · 23/01/2012 21:17

These countries governments kill their own on mass. Why is it our "problem" and we're racist.

Original poster
ElaineBenes · 23/01/2012 21:19

Not sure about the frequency argument. If 200 people had been killed in a terrorist attach in Israel, it'd also make the headlines for days after. But Israelis are rich and (mostly) white

OP posts:
roundtable · 23/01/2012 21:19

Not wanting to answer the question mojito ?

No one said that English people were not allowed to be proud of their heritage but you seem to be implying that English people are white.

Perhaps you could clarify what you mean please?

mojitomania · 23/01/2012 21:19

well you obviously have a take on it Madonna.

EdlessAllenPoe · 23/01/2012 21:20

i heard a long news report on this this morning...

ah. it was Radio 4....

FlangelinaBallerina · 23/01/2012 21:20

Well Mojito, regardless of whether you think you have to be white to be English, England clearly isn't a white country any more. It couldn't possibly be, when there are millions of people who aren't white living here. Whether you think they are English or not is actually a different issue.

Additionally, newsworthiness clearly isn't just about skin colour. We pay more attention to what goes on in the US than we do for, say, Norway. And yet the nonwhite population of the US is a great deal higher than that of Norway.

SulkySullenDame · 23/01/2012 21:20

I agree there should have been more coverage, although I think radio 4 had it as their opening news story at early o'clock. 6 maybe.

We are so bloody wrapped up in ourselves in this country, but this one will run and run, I fear. The world's a scary mess at the moment ,,articulate..

SulkySullenDame · 23/01/2012 21:21

sorry, I meant Blush

mojitomania · 23/01/2012 21:23

Ok, then round, what do you define as English? British or English? Honestly, I'm not being provocative in the least by this question. I genuinely would like clarification.

This isnt about colour by the way, how many generations of spanish, Italian, Scottish etc. so removed would make a person either English or not?

FlangelinaBallerina · 23/01/2012 21:25

Elaine, Israelis aren't very rich really, and quite a lot of them aren't white. There are more Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews than Ashkenazi there, and that's even before factoring in Israeli Arabs. There'd be a lot of coverage if something like this happened in Israel, but not because of the wealth and whiteness of the inhabitants. It's just much more newsworthy and globally significant than lots of other richer, whiter countries.

cookcleanerchaufferetc · 23/01/2012 21:26

In the 2001 census almost 86% of the population was classed as white ..... Therefore we are predominantly a white country.

roundtable · 23/01/2012 21:29

In my opinion if you are born in England you are most certainly English.

If you move here and are successful in getting a British passport than you are British.

I don't have a problem answering that question yet you seem to have a problem answering any.

Deflecting questions with more questions isn't a very subtle way of evading questions.

FlangelinaBallerina · 23/01/2012 21:30

Cook it was actually about 90%, you're forgetting the White Other who numbered over 5%.

So yes, we are certainly a predominantly white country. That's not the same as being a white one though. Those stats are now 11 years out of date, and the nonwhite population has been growing faster than the white population.

roundtable · 23/01/2012 21:31

I'm also happy to stand corrected if I've left any other scenarios out. I'm trying to multitask, maybe not very effectively!

EdithWeston · 23/01/2012 21:34

I think 12 explosions by Islamic extremists would have received significantly more coverage had it happened elsewhere. The spectre of this level of coordinated attack is worrying, as is the number of IDPs it has already provoked.

mojitomania · 23/01/2012 21:37

I don't have a problem answering that question yet you seem to have a problem answering any

As in?

Your answer to the English question is very simplistic and that generally isn't the case.

caramelwaffle · 23/01/2012 21:39

OP - Yanbu. This latest attack is part of an ever growing, and worrying campaign.

roundtable · 23/01/2012 21:46

What is your point about England being a predominantly white country then mojito? When we are comparing reporting on events in the USA and Nigeria?

So your perception is that you must be white to be English?

You want me to tell you your point?

Two of those questions require a yes or no answer, with a possible explanation. The first one would require an explanation. One which you have not given in a straight way.

If you think my idea of what constitutes an English person is simplistic please do tell me what you think an 'English person' is.

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