Kenya

[Wannabestepfordwife]

Apologies but my phone isn't letting me link, but is anyone else following the Garrisa University terror attack today?

Another week and another abhorrent act of terror I'm beginning to feel like we are in World War 3.

I'm also dismayed that I have not seen the event as a headline in the media

Terrible.

It was the headline item on Channel 4 News.

That's good to hear Claig I often feel the atrocities carried out by Al Shabab and Boko Haram don't recieve the same coverage as IS or Al Quieda

I agree. IS and Al Qaeda often get more coverage, but all of these atrocities are equally disgusting.

As a lot of the time Claig I agree with you, that's why I get so frustrated that there is only you and I on this thread yet wedding threads can get into triple figures

Yes, but it is because none of us can do anything about this. We are powerless and have to hope that some power sorts all these terrorists out finally.

I was following this story as it broke and couldn't quite believe how little coverage it was getting. Sometimes it feels like if an atrocity happens on a "big" day for UK news (eg election debate today), then all those deaths just don't matter.

I know how you feel buddhasbelly with the Charlie Hebdo attacks (which I deplore as I feel strongly about free speech) there were loads of articles/threads but when atrocities happen in Africa/ME/Pakistan the majority don't seem to be outraged

I hadn't heard about this and have friends over there (some of whom work/study at various universities). Hasn't been covered on any radio stations I've heard or popped up on my feeds, shockingly.

There have been reports on Radio 4 all day.

It's dreadful to feel this helpless.

wannabe I understand (although don't exactly agree) that when areas are further away from the UK then they may get less news coverage than for example the Paris attacks, Norway attack because they aren't exactly on our doorstop. But surely when the attack is on this scale, no matter where it is in the world and no matter its impact on the UK, it should be widely reported - the westgate nairobi shopping mall attack in kenya got a lot of media coverage but this didn't - is it down to there being no known UK casualties and that our news is largely filled of election coverage at the moment?

Terrible news. Haven't heard news progs today so only saw it on FB posted by my nephew who is half Kenyan. It's beyond imagining. If I let it get to me as it should I think I'd hide in bed forever because humanity is beyond hope.

Unimaginable and horrifying.

Disagree about the coverage though. I was nowhere near a tv all day and was actually hiking in the middle of nowhere for most of it but still heard all the details. It was on every radio station I travelled through the range of in the car and everyone we met throughout the day was talking about it.

Apologies, Wannabe ... I started another thread on this without realising you'd already posted one

It's been commented on in the news before, that terror groups try to out terror each other in the media (as do US school attackers). I don't think editors have taken on board that they are inadvertently encouraging the death toll by slavishly and lavishly reporting the resulting carnage.

There's a thread on this in chat I think.

Reports stated that the students were separated into Muslims and non Muslims and then the christians were shot or taken hostage . There are hundreds unaccounted for who have been taken hostage. its a frightening and terrifying situation.

A big difference with this and Westgate is Westgate is where rich Kenyans and foreigners go and Garissa is nothing like that. The time scale is also a factor - Westgate went on for longer. I am not saying this is a justification but it effects the media perception.

I lived in Kenya and have many Kenyan friends on Facebook, after Westgate and before the last elections there were many more comments about Kenyan solidarity than after this.

There is an interesting article about this attack from the former US ambassador.
time.com/3770504/garissa-terrorist-attack-us-ambassador-kenya/?xid=fbshare