The Spectacle of Terror

I cannot help watching live telecasts of the so called "War on Mumbai" on the CNN/IBN website. Its live, fast paced journalism, but somewhere I cannot help wondering if the channel is also capitalizing on its newly found popularity. I hear too many words like "exclusive", "our correspondents are tirelessly working", in typical high pitched hyper-fast reporting that is typically Indian... Even on a low volume, it sounds loud for some reason.

So I end up thinking, is this really responsible? A friend of mine in Mumbai, wrote a small note on facebook outlining her feelings at this moment, and tried to put it to perspective. I have to thank her for bringing this to light. You would think that India was under attack at this moment, if you watch the news channels.

It is terrible all right, over 140 people have died so far, and there is no describing the horror of actually being in that situation and having a loved one injured or dead. But do we get the same level of sensationalism and media interest when murder, rape and torture happens in Sudan or the DRC?

picture taken from NYTimes article on Rape Epidemic in Congo

There is a world outcry because it is India, and somehow, India is an important place for the world. India is also loud, and has a presence that can be felt in this world. Sudan and Congo do not have that. Hence, one does not have to be too loud about their feelings towards the atrocities going on there.

I would love to see Michael Moore take on the media in his next movie and their marketing of terror. I hope he still has some energy left, after all his fights!