How come Japan gets better media treatment?

[Cool Welshy]

Okay, before the angry brigade fight me down, let me explain.

Before what happened in Japan, there was an earthquake in New Zealand. when I checked around some websites. Some hardly even mentioned it. But when the earthquake hit in Japan, these same sites are i an uproar!

"PRAY FOR JAPAN!" "PRAY FOR JAPAN!" "PRAY FOR JAPAN!"

Granted, the nuclear meltdowns and tsunamis made it worse, but did we know when this was going to happen when New Zealand was in jeopardy? No. Then where are the PRAY FOR NEW ZEALAND articles?

EDIT: Or GIVE NEW ZEALAND MONEY AND HELP ARTICLES. There. No more snarky comments on how prayers are useless, please. As much is that seems to be a topic here, it isn't the issue I want to address.

 

[TheDist]

How's about instead of praying for any of them, we send money, supplies and experts to actualy help? just a thought...

 

[Cool Welshy]

How's about instead of praying for any of them, we send money, supplies and experts to actualy help? just a thought...

Well, that too. But still!

 

[Axelhander]

Okay, before the angry brigade fight me down, let me explain.

Before what happened in Japan, there was an earthquake in New Zealand. when I checked around some websites. Some hardly even mentioned it. But when the earthquake hit in Japan, these same sites are i an uproar!

Granted, the nuclear meltdowns and tsunamis made it worse, but did we know an earthquake in Japan is happening that was going to cause that when it hit? No. Then where are the PRAY FOR NEW ZEALAND articles?

A rather large number of gamers and members of geek subculture lavish (undeserved) praise on all things Japanese, which may contribute to the "disaster favoritism" you're speaking of.

That doesn't mean I wish ill on any victims of the Japanese earthquake: a tear came to my eye reading a story in the paper this morning about a girl who lost her entire family. I wish I was Superman, able to fly over and make things slightly less crappy.

But yeah, I get what you're saying. Hopefully you aren't flamed to oblivion for it.

How's about instead of praying for any of them, we send money, supplies and experts to actualy help? just a thought...

As an atheist I can get behind this.

 

[Matt_LRR]

there's also the fact that the Japanese earthquake was substantially more severe. Not to downplay the christchruch quake, but we're talking a factor of 10,000 in terms of difference in relative magnitude.

-m

 

[cantgetaname]

Another reason is that (at least I'm PRETTY sure, I don't know diddly about New Zealand) A LOT more people live in Japan, and probably more were affected by it, but I totally understand where you're coming from.

 

[BX3]

The quake's scale and the fact that is was paired with a big-ass tsunami, probably. The fact that alot of geek centered entertainment comes from there probably also has something to do with it, but I think this disaster's pure scale and the fact that it's a larger superpower/has a larger populace is what caught attention.

Anyway, currently, aside from updates about the reactors, the actual damage done by the tsunami and earthquake are getting less coverage than you think.

How's about instead of praying for any of them, we send money, supplies and experts to actualy help? just a thought...

Prayer: helping without helping for 2,011 years.

How about instead of praying we do something useful?

So what else is new, internet? >_>

 

[maddawg IAJI]

For two major reasons.

1) The earthquake in Japan was much larger then the one in New Zealand (We're talking a 9.0 on the scale here. The New Zealand earthquakes only reached a scale of 6.2 or somewhere near that.). Couple this with the Tsunami that has threatened coastal towns and the Nuclear Power Plant problems, and you got yourself a disaster that will leave a lot of people dead in the next couple of weeks. Everything about the Japan disasters is on a much larger scale then the New Zealand earthquake.

2)Because the Ally forces have war guilts about the bombs, even though only America dropped them. Hell, a lot of news stations in the states are talking about Hiroshima and Nagasaki more then whats going on now.

That all said, the main reason is pretty simple, Japan is a lot cooler and easily recognizable in the eyes of the media.

 

[Radeonx]

How is this even a legitimate question?
The Japan earthquake is exponentially worse then the New Zealand one, and getting even worse. Who knows how many people will end up dying with the nuclear plant situation and the other things, without even counting the thousands that have already died.
The Japan one is substantially more severe.

 

[EllEzDee]

Is Atheism the "cool" thing now?

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

Prayer: helping without helping for 2,011 years.

much longer than that, actually. prayer has been around far longer than Christianity.

OT: never even heard about the New Zealand one in the news. probably got less coverage due to the much lower population? dunno.

 

[the clockmaker]

Well, In Aus we had the kiwis at the forefront of our hearts and minds for weeks, I mean, kiwiland and Aus are as close as two nations can be without actually being the same country (Suck it Canada and the US). But in the end, the death toll was something like 140. Now, I am an emergency services volunteer, and there are still people from Aus helping out, but there are believed to be 10,000 unaccounted for Japanese people, so priorities have to shift.

And athiests, if you are not going to actually participate in the converstation, why bother posting, I mean, do you expect people to be shocked by your stunning wit in revealing that SHOCK, you don't believe in prayer, either as an actual device or as a means for showing moral support?

 

[Sansha]

Okay, before the angry brigade fight me down, let me explain.

Before what happened in Japan, there was an earthquake in New Zealand. when I checked around some websites. Some hardly even mentioned it. But when the earthquake hit in Japan, these same sites are i an uproar!

Granted, the nuclear meltdowns and tsunamis made it worse, but did we know an earthquake in Japan is happening that was going to cause that when it hit? No. Then where are the PRAY FOR NEW ZEALAND articles?

In all seriousness, I live in New Zealand. I've visited the site, and really it's not that bad. A huge amount of buildings have been demolished, the streets have some serious liquefaction, and a lot of people are without power and water.

But that's it. Meanwhile in Japan, entire towns have been completely destroyed, they're on the verge of a very serious nuclear catastrophe and thousands of people are dead, and still dying. New Zealand has more than enough emergency funding immediately available to pay for our damage, while Japan no longer does.

As countries that are about the same size in terms of land mass - they have it far, far, far worse.

And athiests, if you are not going to actually participate in the converstation, why bother posting, I mean, do you expect people to be shocked by your stunning wit in revealing that SHOCK, you don't believe in prayer, either as an actual device or as a means for showing moral support?

Moral support? You're packed together, presumably in a church, in silence. And I've heard a lot of people saying "We'll pray for them", but how many actively are? You're doing less than nothing.

 

[Cool Welshy]

That all said, the main reason is pretty simple, Japan is a lot cooler and easily recognizable in the eyes of the media.

I think you might have hit the nail on the head there... sadly.

 

[Zechnophobe]

Okay, before the angry brigade fight me down, let me explain.

Before what happened in Japan, there was an earthquake in New Zealand. when I checked around some websites. Some hardly even mentioned it. But when the earthquake hit in Japan, these same sites are i an uproar!

Granted, the nuclear meltdowns and tsunamis made it worse, but did we know an earthquake in Japan is happening that was going to cause that when it hit? No. Then where are the PRAY FOR NEW ZEALAND articles?

65 People died in New Zealand according to a quick google check. The Earthquake there was a 6.3.

There are likely more than TEN THOUSAND people dead in Japan. And the damage to the economy and living situation there is many MANY times worse. NZ is strong enough to easily get back up on their feet. Japan, on the other hand, is, and I quote "proper fucked".

It's the same reason I don't send a kid to the hospital for a scraped knee, but I do for a bullet to the head.

 

[Zechnophobe]

That all said, the main reason is pretty simple, Japan is a lot cooler and easily recognizable in the eyes of the media.

I think you might have hit the nail on the head there.

For humor value: The real reason Japan gets the attention is that there aren't any major sexual fetish' involving kiwi's.

 

[Sansha]

That all said, the main reason is pretty simple, Japan is a lot cooler and easily recognizable in the eyes of the media.

I think you might have hit the nail on the head there.

For humor value: The real reason Japan gets the attention is that there aren't any major sexual fetish' involving kiwi's.

In a word, sheep.

 

[Cool Welshy]

There are likely more than TEN THOUSAND people dead in Japan. And the damage to the economy and living situation there is many MANY times worse. NZ is strong enough to easily get back up on their feet. Japan, on the other hand, is, and I quote "proper fucked".

True the comparison is easy to reason to, but if Japan's earthquake didn't happen, would you talk about New Zealand?

 

[TeeBs]

It think this is worth posting

I would also say that the japanese earthquakes were way more destructive. Its about the statistics.