Media Coverage Of The Terrorist Attack Essay

, Research Paper

That tightening in your throat, as if someone is squeezing it with a strong fist, just tight enough that you are unable to swallow, is the first sign of fear. And who better to put fear in the heart of viewers, than the ?Media?. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, tragedy struck in the US. By late morning, I was able to sit in the school theatre, and observe the country slowly deteriorating. I felt almost traumatized while watching as the news cast portrayed the disastrous mood. I clung to their every word, eager to be drowned in details of the horror. Much like every other spectator, I was rather perplexed when these particulars prove to be false.

The media is widely known for being in the right place at the right time, or getting to that place in mere seconds. This, in a nut-shell, is the main reason we turn to the media for information. The massive amount of people in this world, hang off the news anchors? every word. Without the brilliant technology of televised ?news?, we would have been in complete ignorance of the US crisis for hours, possibly days. It is our quickest connection with the rest of the world and our only vision of people?s endless struggles to survive in it. Various scenes and clips were shot during the terrorism attack, in the US. Many of these clips were shown on news stations all across the world. They kept us informed through every minute of the day while these dreadful events took place, and showed actual shocking footage, of the helpless victims in the World Trade Towers. This is what the people of the world want to see. This is what people thrive for. Or is this too much for certain people to handle?

Media coverage, of the obvious human tragedies, may evolve into an even more frightening realization that religious fanatics, who operate in a psychological realm beyond rational thought, have brought our civilization to the brink of another Dark Age where laws, moral principals, and technology, are obliterated by barbarians with no appreciation of these values. The information portrayed by the media leads people to believe very opinionated statements. Their voice should be valid, unprejudiced and legitimate, not simple alleged thoughts, and presumptions. The number of deaths has decreased enormously since the first broadcasting and is still in question. Though this terrorism is horrid, certain clips are very private and personal, and shouldn?t be shown on TV. Footage of the plane crashing into the tower is repetitive on CBC. The media taps into viewers emotions to grasp their attention and compel them to listen. A large sum of money is used in showing these clips. Which proves that it isn?t anything but business.

In conclusion, the media is informative and beneficial to the world, in some ways. It?s certainly an incredibly fast way of communication, and in a world with such outstanding tragedies, and terrorism, quick contact is necessary. On the other hand, the media?s information can often be drastically inaccurate which not only causes confusion and upset, it also makes us question the liability of the media, and our fidelity to it.