I know this has been discussed or argued elsewhere but I just was struck by the events over the past couple of days - concerning hurricane Ivan.

Up until the day it struck the Gulf Coast, news accounts all talked about 68 or more people being killed as it passed through the islands.

Now that it has hit the United States, the same media outlets talk about 39 people being killed. What happened to the forgotten foreign deaths.

If I lived in Granada or Jamaica and depended on US news services, I'd be pissed. We somehow turn them into invisible deaths.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

It may not be "right" but I think it's normal and even understandable to care more about the deaths of your own, in this case, the deaths of people who live in our own country. Also, even if one doesn't specifically "care" about them, it's more newsworthy for American media to have more coverage of how a natural disaster affects the U.S. as opposed to a foreign country. I have no doubt the Jamaican media give more coverage to Jamaican deaths than American ones.

Don't castigate me. I see your point and am not minimizing the deaths of the people on the islands, but I do understand why the reporting is the way it is.

It's normal, all peopledo it and it's no reason to specifically hate Americans.

It may not be "right" but I think it's normal and even understandable to care more about the deaths of your own, in this case, the deaths of people who live in our own country. Also, even if one doesn't specifically "care" about them, it's more newsworthy for American media to have more coverage of how a natural disaster affects the U.S. as opposed to a foreign country. I have no doubt the Jamaican media give more coverage to Jamaican deaths than American ones.

Don't castigate me. I see your point and am not minimizing the deaths of the people on the islands, but I do understand why the reporting is the way it is.

It's normal, all peopledo it and it's no reason to specifically hate Americans.

This post should be retitled to read "Why Chris Sayer Hates Americans."

Unbelievable is all I can say...

I'm sure the reports said 39 killed in America.

Wow?!?!??????

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"If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed." -- David Viscott

This reminds me (very tangentially) of a Top Ten List from Letterman lo these many years ago - Saddam Hussein's (or was it Ayatollah Khomeini's?) Top Ten Derogatory Names for Americans. I only remember one: "Beer-Swilling Buick Jockeys."

I don't know, Chris. I mean, are foreigners really hanging so much on our every pronouncement that they're slighted when our media don't cover them the way they'd like? All national media lavish special attention on their own country - nothing surprising about that.

What bugs me more, honestly, is the US "medal count" in the Olympics. Now that's irritating.

I think the key statement here is

Why is it that American media is so widely viewed in countries outside America, which erroneously leads people to view it was their media rather than American media? This fact has always baffled me.

Luckily, many media outlets have been addressing the issue with things like their en Español versions.

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Well...being an american who lived abroad for a few years....what ever country I was in their news came first...then the rest ofthe world...including America.

in other words...there was no mistaking the residing country's news for USA news.

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"We are always making God our accomplice so that we may legalize our own inequities."
-Henri Amiel

(e.g. US Presidential Election 2004)

Yes... btw, I definitely agree with those who are saying that all national media, not just American national media, show a local bias. No question about that.

__________________
Welcome to Philadelphia. Here's how you can help us make our great city even better:

• Write to your state and local elected officials
• Report suspicious activity to the police department

And if I lived in Florida and depended on Jamaican news services, I'd be pissed.
I think you may just be pissed, regardless of the situation.

:lol:
you have to admit chris, that was funny.