Every day, the entire world is informed about current events through media outlets. We tend to immediately trust the media because they are the only way we can learn about the world and be fully informed. But has the media been deceiving us all along?
With the access to CNN, ABC News, FOX News, and thousands of other media outlets available on almost every device, we can easily learn about the events occurring in the world. In the United States, large media outlets such as CNN, FOX News, and BBC News, tend to focus on events in core nations. Core nations are nations that have already industrialized and become world powers. In other words, they are “first world” countries. Nations such as the United States, Japan, China, England, France, and Germany are considered core nations. When you turn on CNN or any potent news channel, the media tends to focus on the events of the core nation because media sees those nations as more important, powerful, and media-worthy. Developing nations such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon are given less attention because they are not as powerful as core nations.
In 2015, there was an attack in Paris, France, leaving 130 people dead and many injured. This devastating news spread across media outlets faster than ever, resulting in millions of people changing their Facebook icons to France’s flag and they trended #PrayForFrance worldwide. That same year, 2,000 people died in Bono, Nigeria after a Boko Haram Assault, and this tragic news was barely showcased on media across core nations. While the attack in Paris was showcased on the front page of almost every major news outlet, the attack in Bono, Nigeria was barely noticed. Millions of people diverted their attention towards Paris’ attack but for Nigeria, barely any attention was given. because the media did not focus their attention on a developing nation, thousands of people are deprived of the news that occurs in developing nations. Do the people that were killed in the attack in Nigeria not deserve the same amount of attention and grievances as the people affected in France?
Many people noticed the amount of attention that was diverted towards core nations instead of developing nations. They chose to speak out through Twitter:
makes me angry that there's only a media/social media focus on terrorist attacks in the west. Bombing in Istanbul last week. No mention.
— Ellen Collins (@ellencollins03) March 22, 2016
#PrayForTurkey I'm still waiting for the media to showcase the bombing about Ankara & now Istanbul. Aren't they human too?Their live matter!
— Shekin D. ✨ (@Shxkin) March 19, 2016
The media feeds us with news that usually only involves countries that seem more “important”. Disregarding the events and tragedies that happen in developing nations, the people all around the world are deprived of the news of developing nations.
