Murder by Nielson Numbers

[Marty Redman]

A psycho killer in Norway goes on a killing spree and it makes the headlines of the news for several days.  In Syria, each day innocent civillians are being killed  S of S Hilary Clinton estimated the death toll since March at 2000 Syrian citizens  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14413680  . 

According to this report   http://www.smh.com.au/world/people-are-being-slaughtered-like-sheep...  

 

"Gunmen in plainclothes are randomly shooting people in the streets of the besieged Syrian city of Hama and families are burying their loved ones in gardens at home for fear of being killed themselves if they venture out to cemeteries, a resident says."

 

Such is the terror of that situation and yet, the media almost totally ignores this story.  What are the differences between the two? More are being killed in Syria than died in Norway if we're doing news by the numbers.

 

The killing in Syria is sustained, ongoing, and systematic if our criterion is understanding emerging trends and / or round-the-clock updates on a story as it continues to unfold.

The killer in Norway was a lunatic, but the killers in Syria are the very people whose job it is to protect and serve Syrians if we're going by the outrage and disbelief factor. By any sane, objective criteria this should be the number one headline for the week like the Norway attacks were when they occurred, but it isn't.

 

So what's the only difference left? What makes this so much less newsworthy? The pattern of reporting is easy to see once you're aware of it. The Norway attacks were committed by a private individual and the Syrian massacres are being carried out by an official government. Individuals are always scarier than governments in establishment media reporting. No exceptions.

 

Even though it is an irrefutable matter of record that governments have committed the worst horrors and shed the most blood on the grandest scale of anybody in human history, the establishment media will always spin the news in favor of governments.

The media response to escalating violence in Syria is only one more instance of a pattern you will now notice again and again.  Now that you know what to look for.

 

 

[Sweater Cows!]

I did notice an article about the Syria stuff on the main yahoo page  where it shows the list of news to choose from by tabs (world local etc..) that is under the scroll of pics of stories at the top. That was a few days ago. I don't watch or read or listen to the news though, so I guess i can't say whether or not there is much coverage. If the news is on my tv it is either FSTV or LINK which is prolly a far cry different than most other outlets. Sadly I prefer re-runs of Salon Takeover, Millionaire Matchmaker, Celebrity Rehab or some other mindless entertainment. Unless of course my kid is at the helm of the remote which means days of the kids channels. i like Phineas and Ferb.

 

I think though that ignoring what is going on in Syria may be a good idea, just like pulling our troops home from that whole region and ignoring it completely would be on my agenda. If we could do without their oil of course. But really I just don't care about what goes on across the ocean, we have so much to do here at home that I can't care.

 

If I really care about anything it is going to be that people are treating their pets properly and that they are not starving or that they are not left in cars to die of heat or that they are loved and given enough water and shade on these hot days. (and warmth in winter).  With the way so many treat their pets i just can't even bring myself to care about people in a situation that (as far as I can see) doesn't affect(effect?) me(or dogs) directly. Sure, some people care about people. Myself though, its all dog all days.

http://www.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules/affect-effect-grammar.html   effect vs. affect  

 

Is Syria in the Middle east or Eastern Europe or ???

 

 

[Sweater Cows!]

Oh man, I just realized they might have dogs in Syria. how about a "Save Syria's Dogs" campaign (along with every country that doesn't put animal welfare as a important thing to care about.

[XLFD]

Interesting point, Marty.  Though I would add this corollary.  If the media does spin the news so it is contrary to a foreign government, they are doing so to facilitate their own government's intervention into affairs.  I really haven't heard anything about Syria in the news, and I often have the TV news in the background.