By Editorial Board
Is today’s media serving its rightful purpose of providing coverage of global conflicts?
Social media has seen an increase in dissatisfaction as people express their frustration towards its failures to bring specific issues to light. Users have made several attempts throughout the years to raise awareness of specific topics. As though it were a trend, these efforts have either been dismissed or have lost popularity.
Indeed, certain wars have been brought to attention, such as the Russo-Ukrainian War; however, there are many continuing conflicts going through comparable circumstances. The media should be able to adopt a system that promotes awareness, without limiting the spread of awareness for other wars.
Wars that have Been Downplayed
It is crucial to draw attention to some of the wars the media has downplayed.
Ethiopia has been torn apart by the conflict between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal army and the soldiers of the northern Tigray province. Recent acts have opened a small window that could be interpreted as an essential closing to the war.
Afghanistan’s conflict with the Taliban has rendered the situation a humanitarian catastrophe. The population is facing extreme measures; and, the U.N. has speculated that half the population are at the potential for famine.
Palestine-Israel‘s struggle over territory has been one of the most prolonged conflicts in modern history. Violence continues in the West Bank and Gaza as the current situation is known as a ‘perpetual state of violence. Diplomats are pushing for negotiations between the two states, however, the lack of direct aid to alleviate the situation is undeniable.
What are The Next Steps to Improving Media Coverage?
Modern-day media obsesses over trends, and such behaviour can be observed even in providing coverage of humanitarian crises. These major events are examples that have faded in and out of today’s media after they are not deemed to be “fresh”. This is detrimental to communities that are victims of such situations and declines the awareness level brought to the global population. A potential solution would be to adopt a systematic approach that will allow new conflicts to come to light without diminishing other pre-existing conflicts. The change will not be immediate, nonetheless, it is our responsibility to ensure that the world is progressing without the expense of others.
With the technologically-integrated society that we live in today, it is essential that such innovation be taken advantage of to improve societal welfare. It is completely nonsensical to allow news media outlets to cover ongoing events solely related to countries with a larger political presence such as the U.S. and China and uphold an attitude of ignorance towards other countries with often a more pervasive situation at hand. Media coverage of a crisis can provide a myriad of benefits in alleviation. When such news is able to reach a larger audience, a greater scale of humanitarian action can be executed internationally so as to extend aid as soon as possible. Surrounded by the contents of social media, it is critical to use such platforms to change the tides of inequality and bring attention to the injustices that plague humanity in the present.