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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that things are newsworthy even if theyre happening to non-white, non-english speaking people?

111 replies

Branleuse · 19/04/2013 13:15

The amount of news coverage about Boston, which although horrible, it seems to have an out of proportion amount of news coverage, considering its still halfway across the world, compared to the much higher number of deaths of civilians in Iraq and Palestine (for example)

Was just reading some international news online and noticed this :(
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Another-rape-Anger-rises-protests-spread-in-Delhi-as-5-year-old-victim-battles-for-life/articleshow/19631652.cms

Im not sure why we hear more about the white tourist that got raped, than about that.
I could trawl the news for examples

Whats it all about?? It makes me uneasy

OP posts:

whistleahappytune · 19/04/2013 14:09

Branleuse, I think the BBC and Channel 4 News actually take a very international approach. Recent coverage of Syria, Egypt, India, North Korea have been exemplary. I don't think "the rest of the world" is dehumanised for us at all.

I've lived in the U.S., in the Middle East and in Italy, where you get far far less international coverage.

However, I believe the Boston story is important for a number of reasons. It's the first attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. It happened in the context of Pres. Obama trying to pass gun laws. Also, critically, it is an ongoing news story - there's a huge mystery as to motive and an ongoing manhunt.

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 19/04/2013 14:10

language yes. culture no

Really? How so?

theodorakisses · 19/04/2013 14:11

I agree. My cleaner is from Bangladesh and there was a horrible accident in his village a while ago, a bus crashed into the houses and he lost many relatives, 17 in all were killed. it wasn't even reported on the internet. We had to raise money to pay for his mother's operation as well.

FasterStronger · 19/04/2013 14:11

i don't hear much irish news, or much French news.

USA has been a global power and we speak the same language.

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 19/04/2013 14:12

But Theo would you really expect news from a village to make news. If it had happened in the city then I'm sure it would have got coverage.

theodorakisses · 19/04/2013 14:13

yes, any accident that kills 17 people is news.

Squarepebbles · 19/04/2013 14:14

Theo you wouldn't hear much re a bus accident in Australia.The Alps one recently even in Europe you didn't hear that much.

AgnesAndTheOthers · 19/04/2013 14:14

But if the all news coverage about Boston is because we are such similiar culture to the US then how come its not reciprocated? I have lived in the US, twice, for six months at a time and there was virtually nothing about the UK.

OK, this was between ten and 15 years ago but at the time poeple were being killed in London, Warrington and Mancheter by bombs and not much coverage at all. One mention, three stories down for Manchester bombs.

I appreciate that was a while back and the with the internet etc reporting has changed but i dont think the US care nearly as much about us as the news channels here do about them.

theodorakisses · 19/04/2013 14:14

What I hate is when there is a terrible accident abroad in a poor country and it is reported in the context of "one British person involved" like the others weren't important

AmberLeaf · 19/04/2013 14:15

I agree OP.

You also don't have to go that far from home to find this.

It is about what the 'mainstream' see as 'like them' and that is what interests them. [or scares them in an it could happen to me way]

That 'missing pretty white girl' thing for example.

Not just about colour, but class too.

I have known some awful things happen to people, that barely made the papers. But they were either poor or black so just not newsworthy.

Their white/female counterparts would have made the front pages.

DontmindifIdo · 19/04/2013 14:15

Square is right - I expect bombs to go off in a war zone. I would be more surprised they were organising a marathon in Palestine or Iraq than the fact a bomb went off at one.

The lifestyles of most people living in Cities and city suburbs in the UK is very, very similar to the lifestyles of people living in Boston and it's surrounding suburbs. They speak the same language, predominately have the same religion or at least religious heritage (that even for those who don't believe, effects cultural norms), we have a lot of shared culture and heritage. It's not surprising at all that it's easier to identify with the people of Boston and their fears than the fears of someone who's been living in a warzone with a very different heritage and culture for the bulk of their life.

(And as for hearing more about the white tourist being raped, the important point is she is British - a British woman being attacked on holiday is more news worthy in Britian than a story about a local woman being attacked. In the same way, the British tourist being attacked will get far higher coverage in the UK than it would in France or Germany because she's not one of them.)

Squarepebbles · 19/04/2013 14:16

Also Theo traffic accident deaths in Bangladesh I would think sadly are pretty common given how bad the driving is,volume of people,quality of cars,volume of traffic on roads etc.

Said country is vast and highly populated compared to ours.

Tee2072 · 19/04/2013 14:17

When was the last time someone posted on MN for tips on what to do on holiday in Iraq?

And the last time someone posted for tips on what to do on holiday in America?

America is 'on our radar' a lot more than Iraq. We visit America. We watch American TV, listen to American music, watch American movies.

It has nothing to do with the colour of skin and everything to do with what we can relate to.

Disclaimer: I'm American. And have family in Boston. It really matters to me...

spottyparrot · 19/04/2013 14:17

I think we are very strongly linked with America. We share a language and have very similar cultures - vast amounts of the TV and films in the UK are American. Some British people have watched and absorbed so much American TV that in an emergency, they would try to call 911 instead of 999.

Squarepebbles · 19/04/2013 14:18

Agnes re the IRA bombings back then were more expected as we were in conflict with the IRA.The US back then also had a lot of sympathy for the IRA.

Squarepebbles · 19/04/2013 14:19

Also we are tiny,a mere gnat comparison to the US.

DontmindifIdo · 19/04/2013 14:19

BTW - not having a lot of coverage of the IRA bombings in other countries, including the US, that might be similar to our not really covering the bombings happening in places like Palestine - when something happens regulalry in another country, esp when it's not a 'big' bombing (neither had very large casulty numbers) it's just not that big of an international news story. Now, if a bomb went off now in Manchester, similar to the one the last one, it would be more of an international story because it wouldn't be expected. Sadly, during 80s and early 90s, NI terrorists setting bombs on mainland UK wasn't really that unexpected.

Original poster

Branleuse · 19/04/2013 14:20

How are we culturally different??

I dont see how we are culturally the same?

Im not saying that we shouldnt hear about Boston, or other american news. Its a major country.

I wonder WHY "we" dont identify enough with black foreigners getting bombed enough to light candles, write facebook statuses, to be even upset at all really.
Im wondering why a swedish tourist being raped in India, or an english speaking educated high caste indian woman being raped is major major news, but a little indian 5 year old girl being repeatedly raped and assualted with bottles and candles and is now fighting for life, but it doesnt even make UK news???

OP posts:

GladbagsGold · 19/04/2013 14:21

I agree that coverage of America seems out of proportion. 40 people were killed in a factory explosion in India last year. I don't remember it getting the same coverage as the Texas explosion. But all the victims are equally as important.

Original poster

Branleuse · 19/04/2013 14:21

I wonder if this mindset is actually pushed in order to "other" the rest of the world

OP posts:

OutragedFromLeeds · 19/04/2013 14:24

It's racist, but deeply ingrained racism, that we're unaware of in ourselves, that's why so many people are able to justify it.

There is a study where they looked at how many people have to die in an accident/terroist attack etc in each country for it to make news in the UK. They found a clear pattern that it's definitely reported less from some countries than others. White people being killed is more newsworthy to us.

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 19/04/2013 14:25

DontmindifIdo is right. I lived in Manchester during the troubles with the IRA. Bomb scares were a regular occurence and became the norm, it wasn't new news. But if it were to happen now then yes, it would be big news.

socareless · 19/04/2013 14:25

I wonder WHY "we" dont identify enough with black foreigners getting bombed enough to light candles, write facebook statuses, to be even upset at all really.

Malala Yousafzai, was given some news, if only to spite the Taliban. I do see though where you are coming from OP.

LaVolcan · 19/04/2013 14:26

Tee2072 Iraq until just recently has been a war zone.

Ask how many people post asking about holidays to France or Spain? Or how many go there? Loads, probably too numerous to count.

We visit America, you say. Not all of us. I have never been there, DH has been possibly twice for work trips. We have lost count of the number of times we've been to France. I suspect we are pretty typical.

fromparistoberlin · 19/04/2013 14:29

I said this after Boston

less so around Waco explosion as its clearly a HUGE tragedy

but there are terrorist bombs every fucking day

I read that and that reads terrible, and I was very very upset to hear about it.

But I also wonder

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