Bayesian tragedy over reported

[sadabouti]

AIBU to think that this tragedy is being vastly over reported simply because it involved very rich people? Why did it require live coverage or the effort to recover bodies on major news channels.

No. Such sudden sinking of one of the largest sailing yachts in the world is big news, It’s an unprecedented accident plus the high profile clients on board.

Is the BIG clue not in your question??

some of us have compassion and want to know if they've recovered the bodies of people in a catastrophe. Whether rich or poor.

I wanted to know if they'd recovered the bodies of her husband & daughter. That's the very least that woman needed in the circumstances.

Because it's of general interest, its potentially a manslaughter case & is an unusual scenario. I've not considered the finances of those involved , it's irrelevant , just terribly sad for the families involved as it would be if they had less money.🤷‍♀️

16 migrants have drowned in the channel this year, but nobody notices because a blow up dinghy isn’t a posh boat.

It's a huge story. A unprecedented freak accident. Missing families. A water spout which I'd never heard off. Plus millions of people love Below Deck. So there's a fascination with super yachts, crew and charters. And it's august which is often a slow news month.

So sad for the families involved.

Unfortunately a blow up dinghy, over its capacity with inexperienced pilots has obvious reason to easily sink. A mega yacht does not and investigations will be ongoing.

Yes it’s over reported because society does value rich white men more but also it’s been an exceptionally slow news week I guess.

No more so than the youth who went missing somewhere (Canaries?) recently.

So I'm not disputing that it's a tragedy. I'm just asking if it is being over reported by the media. It's been wall to wall coverage. And I can't help but think that the only distinguishing factor is that it involved rich people on an expensive boat.

How is it big news?

How is it not? Who should define what ‘big news’ is?

I think there’s also the hint of a conspiracy theory here because of Mike Lynch’s background and the fact his codefendent in the Autonomy trial was killed in mysterious circumstances a couple of days before. And the fact he was well connected with the security services.

Its very strange indeed. I am not a conspiracy theorist but I can see why it makes people wonder if there was more to this than meets the eye.

Plus the human tragedy and the freak weather. I can see why it’s a huge story.

What do you define it as , you’re the one calling it big news.

More people have died in other tragedies this week but they were just a foot note.

It is big news whether I called it that or not. I am sure you are well aware of this. I’m not a news channel, obviously they have felt that the situation has justified heavy reporting so your question would be better directed at one of them.

@Anonym00se

This!!

So much interest in the privileged 1% while barely any mention of the many people who drown in small boats, including very young children and babies.

I agree; it's been the top story on the news multiple times this week. Outside of the family and friends it's really not of any other importance.

It's a strange story given the context and also I'm not sure I understand why it's potentially manslaughter and who is being accused. I don't think it's particularly overreported.

I agree with you OP.
And with the other pp who compare the coverage with that given to deaths of migrants.
No equality even in death.

News channels will look for a story to do rolling 24 hour coverage, especially in a slow news week.

That doesn’t mean the story is actually worthy of 24/7 coverage for a week.

It was complete saturation though.. Every headline, every news programme opened with it. It's very sad that people have died, but did it really needs so much time and space ?
As a pp said, rich white men have more value than anyone else in this world though

Again, not my issue as I do not dictate the news.

It's big because yachts like that don't sink, the owner had just been cleared in a huge court case, and it comes hot on the heels of his co-accused being killed in a car crash.

People care more because the victims are rich and high profile. Humans are fascinated by the lives of the ultra wealthy and there is a weird schadenfreude when tragedy strikes people who seem to have it all. There’s added interest in this case because of the fraud trial.

People don’t care nearly so much when migrants die in channel crossings even though they’re human lives of equal value and importance. They should, but they don’t.

Well it would be a massive story if it turned out to be a hit. Which is what some of more excitable commentators I have spoken to suggested.

I’m not saying I believe this btw. It’s almost certainly bollocks. But it’s a very strange set of coincidences and you can’t blame people for being interested in it.

Saying it’s just about “rich people” misses the point. It’s about powerful and well connected people. For better or worse it’s inevitable that the deaths of famous and well connected people attract more attention. It’s ever been thus.

If this was a fishing trawler out of Grimsby, I don't think it would have had anywhere near the coverage.

That being said, it's an awful tragedy I feel for the families Of the dead.