How Long Will the Attention Last?

It was reported this week, that the search and rescue of live bodies in the rubble has officially come to an end in Haiti. Yet a CNN.com video shows something contradictory:: http://cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2010/01/26/cooper.haiti.death.everywhere.cnn.  One of my best friends from high school lost her mother in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. I remember my friends and I praying every night for weeks that Nicole’s mother, Grace, would be one of those lucky people who was still living under rubble, soot, and ash. When it was finally announced that the search for living bodies in rubble of the Twin Towers was going to end, we were all crushed–it was one of the worst feelings in the world.

I noticed something in the weeks that followed the announcement that no more bodies would be pulled from the rubble of the Twin Towers: news coverage of the attacks started to slow down and become less and less. Since the earthquake devastated Haiti, I wondered how long news coverage of the earthquake would dominate our news programs. I wondered when news coverage would return to providing us with stories about the failing economy or banks. Today, when I visited CNN.com, the headline story was not about the devastation in Haiti, rather, it was about the gun markets in Pakistan.

I still cannot fathom that the Haiti coverage is no longer the headlining issue. Sure, it was announced that the search for live bodies has ceased, but what about the rebuilding of Port-ai-Prince? What about all the help the nation needs to get back on its toes? What about all the crime and disease that his stricken the city as a result of the earthquake? And what about all the effort other nations such as the United States and Israel are putting forward to help the city rebuild? Over a hundred thousand people were killed by this earthquake that took place a little over two weeks ago, how is it already out of the headlines?

I am really appalled, yet not surprised that this is happening. It seems to be a trend with news coverage. It happened with the coverage of September 11, 2001 and it most definitely happened with the coverage of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. I think news coverage is helpful in educating people about the dire situation in Haiti as well as motivating people to donate their time and money to help with the situation.

The bottom line is, even though the rescuing of live bodies may have come to an end, there is so much more to be done in Haiti. The situation deserves the attention of our news networks for more than three weeks.