Does anyone else remember

[SheilaT]

the National Lampoon Newspaper that came out in the mid-70's in which the lead article was headlined: Japan Disappears in the Twinkling of an Eye?

It had a super-duper earthquake sinking Japan in its entirety, and was amusing for focussing on a couple of American tourists from the midwest who'd had their vacation disrupted, with the total loss of however many millions of Japanese citizens being just a sidebar.

This morning when I woke up to BBC radio on my local station and they were talking about the explosion at the nuclear power plant and the beginning enumeration of the dead, I suddenly remembered it.

It was intended as humor and correctly captured the American media inclination to focus solely on what might matter to Americans, rather than the larger story. I am NOT amused at the death and destruction that occurred there. Since I'm not watching much American media, I'm not sure if that's what's happening this time.

[Orrex]

1. You're absolutely correct about the "Americans first" reporting

A catastrophe could decimate an entire continent, and the lead story would be about the American (preferably young and blond) who broke a thumb in the process.

[MedleyMisty]

2. Wasn't born until 1980

But the American focus thing has always bothered me. I don't remember how old I was when I first noticed it in a news story - I want to say elementary school? And I didn't understand why the American lives were worth more than the lives of everyone else on some plane that crashed.

[lunatica]

3. I never knew of that story

But I know what you mean when you say the media mostly talks about Americans who are affected. Right now the woman on MSNBC is talking about how the oil prices are going to affect us. Just like we get to hear how an earthquake here would affect us.

How will this affect Americans and the US is the overriding meme right now too.

[FormerDittoHead]

4. You mean like that model and the Indonesian tsunami? She was the only one there!

...and in case you're wondering what she thinks about what's going on now...:

http://foreign.peacefmonline.com/entertainment/201103/143464.php