Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
News
Original poster

or not, it may seem (storm vs. Madela coverage)

78 replies

LoopyLobster · 06/12/2013 01:33

Twitter is astorm with grumbles that the BBC and Sky News are covering Mandela's death exclusively - not enough info on the big storm. Looking at BBC's twitter page, for the past 4 hours, every single tweet is about Mandela.

I'm not in the UK, and finding it quite hard to see what's going on there. I definitely know for sure that Mandela is dead. He was a great man, but it has come as no surprise to me, and seems a little less urgent than the fact that people are losing their homes, businesses, and potentially family members in our tiny, sea-surrounded island.

Hmmm...

OP posts:
DrankSangriaInThePark · 06/12/2013 07:03

MyBach you forgot the MP who should actually be doing his/her fucking job instead of playing on his iphone....Grin

meditrina · 06/12/2013 07:04

There are still warnings for quite a lot of the areas of the east coast for more flooding, for the high tides later this morning and again tonight are both expected to surge.

There will be coverage from South Africa of events there, plus an enormous amount of pre-prepared obit material - right through until the day of the funeral (expected on 13th, after official lying in state) and it will dominate the news today and at intervals until then.

The thing that has been completely knocked off the news if the Chancellor's Autumn statement, which included (for the first time in ages) a small surplus in some of the figures.

Katiebeau · 06/12/2013 07:09

I live in the SE and the national news here was totally dominated by the storm, not just the coastal surges in Kent BTW, until the great man died.

I'm northern by the way so I was pleased to see such great coverage of the storm and I remember heavy snow in Chester making the BBC 6pm news!!

Mandalas death would knock most news off the front page. Even Kate's grey hair!!!!

Blu · 06/12/2013 08:53

"let ME be on the news, let ME be on the news"
Lives at risk in Sandwich, and some posters want coverage of the North, just to make it fair? Better luck next time, maybe you'll get a newsworthy flood. Or even something worse, with a bit of luck and a (gale force) following wind!

Or maybe it won't need to be that bad. Last weekend there was hours of film footage of areas of Scotland that might get snow soon. Now there's a story!

Blu · 06/12/2013 10:10

I have just spoken to my parents in a stricken coastal village (roads blocked by boats washed up, a house fallen in under force of water and wind, ) and wanted to re-assure you, OP, that they were in no way disadvantaged by the Mandela news coverage.

The Environment Agency and the parish Council contacted everyone at risk at 6.30 am yesterday, and helped evacuate everyone who needed it. Much help with sand bags, flood protection etc.

And messages on the news at 9.45 when the Mandela news broke would not have helped because by then they had complete power black outs.

ThistletoeAndWine · 06/12/2013 10:13

I can't work out why sky news is only showing Norfolk and Boston as badly effected... Ne lincs is bad and also bad weather in Scotland. Scotland hasn't even been shown!!

Sad to see Nelson die thoHmm

Blu · 06/12/2013 10:15

200 hundred flooded homes in Whitby Sad

Maybe they went where they knew there would be floods for definite. N Norfolk is hard to reach though. There are power cuts and blocked roads in lots of places

working9while5 · 06/12/2013 10:17

I'm all for the NM coverage but surely you could squidge in ten mins an hour on the storm and some ticker tape info too?

working9while5 · 06/12/2013 10:20

Also if your home and/or business is about to be destroyed and 300 people died last time this occurred, it's hardly a minor 'first world problem'. Aren't those things like little Johnny not getting into his first choice school or MIL etiquette at the Christmas dinner table?

worldgonecrazy · 06/12/2013 10:21

Local Radio is doing great coverage in the areas affected. It's obvious that something of international importance will be covered by the international news. But if you want the details of who is at risk locally, whenever the weather is wreaking havoc, then local radio is always your best bet.

Mignonette · 06/12/2013 10:27

A flood is a flood and to categorise it as a 'first world problem' is so astoundingly thick and flippant I am amazed those saying it have even mastered the technology to type it.

Try saying it to those who have lost their homes and livelihoods a few weeks before Christmas no less when their misery and displacement is magnified.

Theknacktoflying · 06/12/2013 10:27

Storm coverage is taken over by the death of NM.

And yet there is also the small issue of the Autumn Statement ...

Salbertina · 06/12/2013 10:51

Mignotte, come live in Africa...

working9while5 · 06/12/2013 10:56

Losing your home, livelihood or a loved one isn't easy because you're not in Africa ffs.

Mignonette · 06/12/2013 10:59

Salbertina My Parents worked there for years concerning developing world problems so I am perfectly familiar (having spent my childhood living in developing countries worldwide).

A flood is a flood and having compassion for one doesn't rule out having compassion for another. Compassion is not a finite resource although it clearly is for some

StealthPolarBear · 06/12/2013 11:03

Nelson Mandela was an absolute one-off, a true icon and his passing touches everyone not just us here in SA. Unlike most dignitaries/royals, his death is deservedly marked
can only repeat that. It's no huge tragedy he died - he was definitely at the end of his long life. But it is an historic day and warrants all the ceremony it's getting.

kilmuir · 06/12/2013 11:03

Yes he was a great man, but over the top coverage. He was 95 so in no way tragic.
Now if the storms were going on in the south we might have heard something......

Salbertina · 06/12/2013 11:04

I have compassion, thank you (btw, calling people "thick"
for voicing a different point of view not very..)

This thread is about the coverage of the 2 news items, as was my comment. As you know Africa so well, you are doubtless familiar with the daily catastrophes faced by millions here without much if any support to deal with them. Hence my comment.

ormirian · 06/12/2013 11:09

I had a little weep over his death - sorry but I think it's a major loss and should be marked. He acheived so much and was a courageous man. The coverage may be over the top as it usually is but he meant a great deal to many many people.

No storm at all on this side of the country so I accept i am very lucky, but surely all you need to know is what the forecast is and what to do in case of problems. The national news doesn't need to provide that does it?

StealthPolarBear · 06/12/2013 11:10

Agree orm. Im glad my children both were born before he died. Makes learning about things a bit more real than when this person os part of history to you.

AuntieMaggie · 06/12/2013 11:12

I agree with you OP - I work in an area of public sector involved in this weather situation and we are taking it very seriously. If you could see the amount of activity going on it would be clear that this is not just another flood. With all weather related events like this you can only predict an estimate of what you think will happen its not a guaranteed science and the worst case scenario in this case is not pretty.

Mignonette · 06/12/2013 11:16

It was a dismissive and insensitive thing to say and to me it came across as thick.

Salbertina · 06/12/2013 11:30

Mignotte- i am in S Africa, you are, I presume, in UK, we therefore have v different perspectives.

I find a lot of the media so Western-centric, so uninterested in developing countries such as this except to laud the architect of the so-called rainbow nation. And rightly so, but where are they when people lose their homes in floods/fires (daily occurrence) and when the rescued contents are looted by the neighbours? And when they can't afford to buy medicine or shoes for their kids? And this in VAST numbers! The tourists mainly see the game parks, the wine estates, the modern shopping malls and roads, but all the bits in between? The casual acceptance by the west is in my opinion grossly racist and insensitive. What is the point of Mandela's democracy when you're living in squalor?!

Please, people, if you want to honour Mandela and his legacy, consider supporting SA-based NGOs working at grassroots level to build houses, school & creches, train teachers, fund clinics, pay school fees etc. Happy to give suggestions if anyone wants to PM me

CatAmongThePigeons · 06/12/2013 11:32

It is sad Mandela has died, he was a great man but I do think there could have been a little more information on the news about those who are having t homes flooded or who have been killed by this weather.

Although I am nowhere near the affected areas, I still wish to see what has happened, to know that the emergency plans have worked

Swipe left for the next trending thread