Poll: Priorities People!

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

Ok so for those of you outside of Australia who may be unaware, on Saturday a girl from the Sunshine Coast (Australia) became the youngest person ever to make a full solo trip around the world.

http://www.entertainmentandshowbiz.com/jessica-watson-completes-around-the-world-amid-huge-greetings-2010051753166

Ok now what Jessica Watson did was great, she made a solo trip around the world at 16, you have to admit that's something. But when I was watching the news tonight I noticed something that bothered me. Her trip is the top story, everyone is talking about it, second was about how Kevin Rudd's approval rating has dropped and they are convinced Julia Gillard is going to make a bid for the leadership and of course at third was about how Thailand is ripping itself apart. Yeah that's not as important as Jessica.

So I have to say that this annoys me, that a girl in a boat is more news worthy and more front page material than what is actually going on politically in our own country AND is more important than a country in which everyone is shooting each other. At the end of the day all I can ask is why? Why is this such a more important story, seriously in the end it's a girl in a boat. I know people don't like hearing about uncomfortable and violent things as we like to assume that all is good in the world, but come one seriously?

 

[Dragon_of_red]

Im sure its more important, alot more important. But people dont care about thailand, people want to hear about Jessica and her pink boat.

 

[Dwarfman]

Im sure its more important, alot more important. But people dont care about thailand, people want to hear about Jessica and her pink boat.

Absolutely agree with this. So much bad shit happening in the world;then out of the blue comes an underaged Aussie battler in a pink boat. This is the sought of 'feel good' story that'll have the media and the viewer sleep well at night and dream cute, furry dreams. In the mean time those poor bastards in Thailand will just be page 12 news in the 'rest of the world' section...

 

[Megalodon]

The news makes me hate the world.
Especially back in December when Britain was snowed under, it would take the bbc 20 minutes out of a 25 minute show to say that it was still snowy, some people weren't happy and some other people were worried that we might run out of road grit. I know we brits have something of a reputation for talking about the weather but that was taking the piss.

OT:You're right about Thailand being both more initeresting and important, but journalists simply seem to care less about foriegners.

 

[Brotherofwill]

Well, that's the news. It's so selective and biased in most cases that you're better off without, you might aswell stop watching it. TV for that matter too.

 

[magicmonkeybars]

You really think this is the first time Thailand has endured some kind of conflict ?
People killing eachother over ideas isn't news it happens everyday.

 

[ENKC]

The Watson business is more of a one off event, while the Thailand problems are ongoing over a long period. Apart from the day she arrived, I've found the media to be spending much more time talking about Thailand.

In other words, I don't accept the premise to begin with.

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

You really think this is the first time Thailand has endured some kind of conflict ?
People killing eachother over ideas isn't news it happens everyday.

Yeah and I really really just needed to hear about how hard it was for Jessica in her pink boat all alone and how she really needs a root in her 30 billions interviews she's already done.

 

[Always_Remain]

OH MY GOD SHE'S A POKEMON TRAINER! /ruins intelligent conversation

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

The Watson business is more of a one off event, while the Thailand problems are ongoing over a long period. Apart from the day she arrived, I've found the media to be spending much more time talking about Thailand.

In other words, I don't accept the premise to begin with.

Yeah you clearly didn't watch tonight as both channels 10 and 7 led with a story about Watson, as did Today Tonight and The 7PM Project. While actual political news and coverage on Thailand were pushed down in favor of this weeks feel good story.

 

[A Free Man]

Hmm this is an interesting topic I'd say, because obviously the situation in Thailand is a much bigger issue than that of Jessica, and I am ashamed to say it but I know a lot more about Jessica and her trip than I do of Thailand at all. Considering I get all my information from the mX I suppose that's not really a surprise. Anyway I think that the world is full of bad news anywhere you look, maybe for the sake of humanity we have to pick out those points that are not as bleak and highlight them for the world to see. I am not saying that it is right but that doesn't necessarily make it wrong does it?

I guess in the end journalists, photographers and editors would get paid according to how many papers they sell and they therefore publish whatever they think will attract the most readers. In that case does it show that as Australians we are ignorant of the outside world or that we have pride in our own successes no matter how small they may be in relativity?

 

[magicmonkeybars]

You really think this is the first time Thailand has endured some kind of conflict ?
People killing eachother over ideas isn't news it happens everyday.

Yeah and I really really just needed to hear about how hard it was for Jessica in her pink boat all alone and how she really needs a root in her 30 billions interviews she's already done.

If you don't like the news change the channel or just stop watching the news.
That girl accomplished something significant and deserves praise for it.
Those people in Thailand are just being unconstructive.

 

[El Poncho]

OH MY GOD SHE'S A POKEMON TRAINER! /ruins intelligent conversation

Avoid her gaze! She will want a battle!

Of course it's not more important, but it's not what people want to hear about, and they probably don't know much about it themselves.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Ergh, I hate stories about young people performing amazing feats. She should be in school, learning.

 

[Spygon]

This is the problem with the media today instead of telling actual news they make the news out of people and events to keep people happy.

If the news was truthful they would show how fucked up this world is constanly.Wars,people starving and other terrible things are always happening but the news like to keep that out of the public eye.

 

[Kragg]

it's new, that's why, thailand is not new ...
haiti is still a mess, i heard there's people dying in iraq etc etc
it is just how the news works i guess

the news hasn't been about what is important in the world for a LONG LONG LONG time

 

[Kortney]

It took you this long to realise this?

Were you conscious when the Tiger Woods affair was happening? Bad luck if you were murdered during that month, all the news coverage is about someone having sex. Big fucking deal. The public lapped it up though.

It happens all the time. The news is an entertainment program and it prioritises things on what the public wants to watch. I may be wrong, but I think the general public would rather hear about a local young girl who sailed around the world than Rudd's approval rates.

 

[Malkavian]

The Watson business is more of a one off event, while the Thailand problems are ongoing over a long period. Apart from the day she arrived, I've found the media to be spending much more time talking about Thailand.

In other words, I don't accept the premise to begin with.

Yeah you clearly didn't watch tonight as both channels 10 and 7 led with a story about Watson, as did Today Tonight and The 7PM Project. While actual political news and coverage on Thailand were pushed down in favor of this weeks feel good story.

Thing is, people avtually find Jessica more interesting. If you want the news (and people in general) to prioritize, then the news should have reported on Africa every day for decades now. Thing is, news need to be NEWs. Ongoing problems loose their value as news, and if the media kept reporting on ongoing problems, they would loose viewers/readers/listeners.

I agree it's sad though. To illustrate: Red Cross had a huge project that would better the lives of many, many africans some years ago. Everything was in place, it would get food and the methods to grow them to a lot of africans. Unfortunately, the Tsunami happened. So suddenly, most media coverage of Red Cross' event dissapeared, and Red Cross' event ammounted to very little. Tsunami filled more in the minds of people. People only supported the most immediate disaster.

 

[RanD00M]

It took you this long to realise this?

Were you conscious when the Tiger Woods affair was happening? Bad luck if you were murdered during that month, all the news coverage is about someone having sex. Big fucking deal. The public lapped it up though.

It happens all the time. The news is an entertainment program and it prioritises things on what the public wants to watch. I may be wrong, but I think the general public would rather hear about a local young girl who sailed around the world than Rudd's approval rates.

That kinda reminds me of how the news were when Micheal Jackson died.Sure the world economy was in the shits and some other interesting stuff was happening.But no,all eyes on Micheal,the least interesting celebrity of the decade.

 

[UberNoodle]

It's not more important, of course, but we need to see other news besides doom and gloom. That girl will be reported on a couple more times and then be gone until she does something else. Thailand has been reported on extensively ever since the current troubles began.

I think you are being too serious over this. The news were not saying that Thailand was less important at all, but the news reports on the news of the moment, and that girl WAS that news. Honestly, I would rather see something LIGHT in the world from time to time rather than constantly be barraged by banruptcies, mums microwaving their babies, suicide bombers, hate crimes, rapes, murders, shootings, gang violence, etc. There are plenty of time and avenues to report on most news. One issue of the news is not the "be all and end all" of world current affairs!