Totally out of proportion?

[nickb]

Five people lost their lives in an aircrash in Kent yesterday. Newsworthy - yes, but wall-to-wall coverage on the TV and in the press is ridiculous.

From today's Washington Post:
Last year, 965 people lost their lives in air crashes around the world. But more than 3,000 people will die on the world's highways today. More than 1.2 million people die each year from road traffic injuries, a toll comparable to the number of people killed by malaria or tuberculosis. For every death there are at least 20 serious injuries.

I've no idea how many people died on the roads of Britain yesterday, but 9 or 10 per day is the average. I don't recall hearing any news about that yesterday.

[macstinator]

Its about whether "news" is "newsworthy".

People feed of the hysteria of a plane crash but would rather not hear of a fatal crash on the M6 as it is, for want of a better word, common.

A bit like the Charles de Menezez case. His plight was far more publicised than the deaths of those on 7/7.

[Jay_Benson]

Originally Posted by nickb

Five people lost their lives in an aircrash in Kent yesterday. Newsworthy - yes, but wall-to-wall coverage on the TV and in the press is ridiculous.

From today's Washington Post:
Last year, 965 people lost their lives in air crashes around the world. But more than 3,000 people will die on the world's highways today. More than 1.2 million people die each year from road traffic injuries, a toll comparable to the number of people killed by malaria or tuberculosis. For every death there are at least 20 serious injuries.

I've no idea how many people died on the roads of Britain yesterday, but 9 or 10 per day is the average. I don't recall hearing any news about that yesterday.

Its just the same when there is a train crash - the unusual nature of both attracts journalists.

[wilbo]

If people die on the roads then you tend to hear about it on the local news rather than national news..

[Foggy]

Yeah, newsworthy....

my sister in law lives at Godwin Court, Horsham - yet she had to hear about the murder on the news, how sad is that?


-Paul

[ratcliffe]

Yup, it is way over the top, but you are flying a bit close to the wind on this one Nickb

[dry suit diver]

Originally Posted by nickb

Five people lost their lives in an aircrash in Kent yesterday. Newsworthy - yes, but wall-to-wall coverage on the TV and in the press is ridiculous.

From today's Washington Post:
Last year, 965 people lost their lives in air crashes around the world. But more than 3,000 people will die on the world's highways today. More than 1.2 million people die each year from road traffic injuries, a toll comparable to the number of people killed by malaria or tuberculosis. For every death there are at least 20 serious injuries.

I've no idea how many people died on the roads of Britain yesterday, but 9 or 10 per day is the average. I don't recall hearing any news about that yesterday.

same for the construction industry.

on average 2 people a week are killed on construction sites but theres nothing in the news about that.

Imagine if it was nurses and 2 a week were being killed.


its the way the media are going, we get told what they think we want to hear . I remember the phrase ' its a good day to bury bad news'

[Adrian Kelland]

Originally Posted by nickb

Five people lost their lives in an aircrash in Kent yesterday. Newsworthy - yes, but wall-to-wall coverage on the TV and in the press is ridiculous.

From today's Washington Post:
Last year, 965 people lost their lives in air crashes around the world. But more than 3,000 people will die on the world's highways today. More than 1.2 million people die each year from road traffic injuries, a toll comparable to the number of people killed by malaria or tuberculosis. For every death there are at least 20 serious injuries.

I've no idea how many people died on the roads of Britain yesterday, but 9 or 10 per day is the average. I don't recall hearing any news about that yesterday.

Dog bites man.

Although accidents where 5 are killed tend to hit the news. Scale+unusual = newsworthy?

Infotainment, rubber necking by TV.

Adrian

[String]

Its made the news

(i) Because it was more spectacular than a standard car crash. They had flames, smoke and broken buildings

and

(ii) Flying is so much safer than driving its very unusual to get a crash of any sort of jet aircraft in this country so it is a newsworthy event due to it being out of the ordinary.

[Graham Smith]

If you want to get a different perspective on the News, try listening to a decent Radio Stations news - like Radio Four.

Without the sensationalism of pictures or TV footage you actually get more stories that TV misses as they dont have such a "Dramatic" effect. Yes, they will cover the plane crash but only with the facts and move on. Do the BBC / ITC TV news companies think that seeing a buring building and rescue services rushing to the scene adds to the News of the tragic loss of five lives?