 "Photo: Illustration by Whitney Bandel")
When tragedy strikes, there are many people who come to the aid of those in need. The recent earthquake in Haiti illustrates the willingness of individuals to lend a hand to others. It also reminds us of the potential of the media and celebrities to exploit these events.
Over the past few weeks, it has been hard to avoid news of the devastation and loss of life in Haiti. We have been bombarded with images of bodies being pulled out of rubble and celebrities asking for our money.
What seems like a good deed to some could appear as exploitation to others. But regardless of your belief, the thing to remember is that people are in trouble and they need help.
In a country where news has become a business instead of a public service, the rush to get ratings can sometimes lead to unintended consequences.
The excess of attention has caused many Americans to feel pressured into giving money to help, which has caused a backlash that is neither constructive nor fair to the people of Haiti. While it is true that there are some who would use such a tragedy for their own personal gain, a majority of journalists are there for one reason: to tell the story.
Those of us who are highly cynical view the images of victims trapped under rubble or parents crying next to their dead children as exploitative. We see it as a way for journalists and news organizations to make a name for themselves.
However, regardless of the intentions of those broadcasting the coverage, these images are necessary. The ability to see the devastation, to hear the cries, is important.
In the 1960s, television coverage and images from Vietnam helped to sway public opinion against the war. Citizens knew that war was bad; they knew that people were killed and that there was blood. So why should pictures and video change that?
Just hearing about a tragedy doesn’t bother people, especially if it happens to someone in another country, where the people look and sound different. We need the images to shock us into action.
Because something you hear can always be dismissed as a rumor or an exaggeration, people can fool themselves into thinking that things are not that bad, but once you see the horror with your own eyes, the rumor becomes truth.
Before the earthquake hit, the country of Haiti was largely invisible to most Americans. The media coverage that has followed has shed light on an impoverished nation that had problems long before the earthquake.
Regardless of intention, the attention the media has given this small nation may help make the future of Haiti a brighter one.
Too bad it took so many deaths for that to happen.
- Joseth Sommers is a senior in print journalism. Send comments to opinion@spub.ksu.edu.
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