So far everyone I have spoken to seems to agree that the media is once again blowing something epically out of proportions. They seem to do this quite often. Well why wouldn't they? It's what sells. Is it morally right for the media to this though?
This is an excellent satire of the situation which I was recently shown. Enjoy!
http://www.hayibo.co.za/articles/view/1031
Hehe nice find
ReplyDeleteVery funny!
ReplyDeleteHaha and then on the news we see the swine flu victim "Quarantined" in their homes whilst their families wave at the camera from inside the house. Mind you, this swine flu is a good break from the "recession" which if you listen closely, is mentioned at least once every second sentence on the 6 o'clock news. This is just one of many pandemics(soon to be epidemic *gasp) that the media has had the privalege of exacerbating. I remeber when SARS came about, one media source claimed it was the coming of the apocolypse. However, I think the swine flu is a credible 'thing'(noted that i have little information on the actual flu itself) but it is only as threatening as the media wants it to be.
ReplyDeletehaha like this cracks me up - designer swine flu masks
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cherryflava.com/cherryflava/2009/04/designer-swine-flu-masks.html
Hilarious!
ReplyDeleteThis swine flu business has definately been blown out of proportion by the media. But unlike SARS and bird flu, this one has actually reached NZ which is possibly why it has featured so prominently in the news of late. Being one of the first countries other than Mexico to confirm swine flu sure put us on the map! I particularly enjoy the way the world's media gloss over the fact that everyone outside of Mexico who catches the flu has survived. Except for that one Mexican toddler on holiday in Texas who died of swine flu... Oh wait, he doesn't count. Total media blow up. Great article though!
ReplyDeleteAnother Texan died yesterday from swine fule. What really got newspapers selling were the headlines "Epidemic hits NZ" (it hasn't yet, it was about 30 people) and when the media caught on that it was been passed on to other people (and the pigs in a Canadian farm).
ReplyDeleteThe media has indeed over exaggerated the whole event. Yes, it is a strange and terrible thing, but it has jumped the gun and is at the point of scare mongering the masses into flooding hospitals for the sniffles (which is spreading Winter germs!!)and selling newspapers for the latest information. It is also scaring people into over buying Tamiflu stocks, which is best used for people who are actually genuinely ill, not just for people who think they have swine flu because they ate some dodgy bacon and their next door neighbours cousins boyfriend went to Mexico three years ago. Demand for face masks have jumped as well, and fashion designers, including Dolce and Gabanna, are cashing in on the frenzy.
http://www.oddee.com