terrorism in pakistan

Tombo2001 · 16-01-2013 10:56PM #1

There were a series of terrorist incidents in Pakistan last week which killed I believe around 115 to 120 people. This was given very little coverage in the Irish print media. Not one of the three national broadsheets ran it as a front page article, indeed not of them even ran it as the lead item in their international news sections, with the Oscar nominations and the terrorist killing of 3 Kurdish people in France being ranked ahead of it as a story.

For me, my jaw dropped when I heard the story because of the scale of it but also because I know one of the cities where most of the killings took place - Quetta. I spent a little bit of time there (about a week) and also some of my relations were born there during the days of the British raj. So I know what the place is like.

Just wanted to get people's views on the press coverage of this, or lack of.

I dont mean to get on my high horse about it and claim moral authority or whatever.

Obviously the newspapers have a reason for doing what they do.

But I just wanted to sound people out as to whether anyone here considers 3 people being killed in France being more newsworthy than the above story in Pakistan, and if so, why.

Can the press justifiably turn around and say "we are responding to demand, our readers arent that interested in what happens in Pakistan?".....

On a seperate story, the wiki page below makes for grim reading;.......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrori...kistan_in_2012

Aquarius34 · 16-01-2013 11:03PM

I always cough into my soup when I hear the word "terrorism" used in the media.

And I don't even eat soup that much!

Mr Benevolent · 16-01-2013 11:04PM

TBH we don't really care. We've had enough terrorist atrocities over the years from our own kin. You might as well ask us to worry about a volcano eruption on Europa.

Tombo2001 · 16-01-2013 11:06PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

I always cough into my soup when I hear the word "terrorism" used in the media.

And I don't even eat soup that much!

well whats the right word when someone puts a bomb in a market and kills a load of people.....didnt think I'd end up arguing about semantics.....

Aquarius34 · 16-01-2013 11:09PM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

well whats the right word when someone puts a bomb in a market and kills a load of people.....didnt think I'd end up arguing about semantics.....

There is always "terrorists" in places, where there is oil,gas, opium, mineral wealth and we always seem to blame Muslim for bombing things. Something doesn't quite make sense with that. I don't believe people decide to blow themselves up for no reason and I certainly don't believe this nonsense because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

MadsL · 16-01-2013 11:11PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is always "terrorists" in places, where there is oil,gas, opium, mineral wealth and we always seem to blame Muslim for bombing things. Something doesn't quite make sense with that. I don't believe people decide to blow themselves up for no reason and I certainly don't believe this nonsense because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

That pesky Earth having resources. Look at Mars, no suicide bombers there....

Tombo2001 · 16-01-2013 11:13PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is always "terrorists" in places, where there is oil,gas, opium, mineral wealth and we always seem to blame Muslim for bombing things. Something doesn't quite make sense with that. I don't believe people decide to blow themselves up for no reason and I certainly don't believe this nonsense because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

think you are on the wrong track there........very little oil or mineral wealth in Pakistan.

wexie · 16-01-2013 11:14PM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

Can the press justifiably turn around and say "we are responding to demand, our readers arent that interested in what happens in Pakistan?".....

Believe it or not the 'media' aren't actually in the business of reporting news, they're in the business of selling. Selling newspapers and advertising.

Consequently if they were filling pages with news that their local customers aren't really all that interested in sales would go down, as would profits, marketshare and what have you.

So, in a nutshell, yes they can.

(maybe I'm being overly cynical but I think the majority of people couldn't really care less about how many people died in farawayistan)

wexie · 16-01-2013 11:15PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

.....because why does suicide bombers always exist in places where there is a lot of mineral wealth?

Like Israel? They're known for their giant gold, coal and oil reserves aren't they?

Aquarius34 · 16-01-2013 11:17PM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

think you are on the wrong track there........very little oil or mineral wealth in Pakistan.

Wherever there is war, there is someone after something.

Aquarius34 · 16-01-2013 11:17PM

wexie wrote: »

Like Israel? They're known for their giant gold, coal and oil reserves aren't they?

There is something in Israel yes;) But that is something you'd never know about.

Project Werewolf · 16-01-2013 11:18PM

Pakistan is on a different continent, with a very different culture. They speak a different language and very few Irish people live there. No Irish were injured in the attacks. We don't have any close diplomatic or economic ties with Pakistan.

It's fair to say most irish people don't have much interest in what happens there. We are going to be interested in events nearer to us or in places more familiar to us.

MadsL · 16-01-2013 11:19PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

Wherever there is war, there is someone after something.

Yes, something something is definitely something.

Christ, is it me or is the intelligence level of this thread nosediving out of control.

Aquarius34 · 16-01-2013 11:20PM

Project Werewolf wrote: »

Pakistan is on a different continent, with a very different culture. They speak a different language and very few Irish people live there. No Irish were injured in the attacks. We don't have any close diplomatic or economic ties with Pakistan.

It's fair to say most irish people don't have much interest in what happens there. We are going to be interested in events nearer to us or in places more familiar to us.

So why would our media air such news, and lets be honest, do we think the media care about the casualties?

wexie · 16-01-2013 11:20PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

There is something in Israel yes;) But that is something you'd never know about.

Because you, oh great genius, of course know exactly what I do and don't know...

:rolleyes:

sfwcork · 16-01-2013 11:20PM

Are they reporting the trouble up north?

Why dont you go onto the isralie boards and ask why not

Aquarius34 · 16-01-2013 11:20PM

wexie wrote: »

Because you, oh great genius, of course know exactly what I do and don't know...

:rolleyes:

Yes, but I don't get all chuffed up about it.:rolleyes:

DrumSteve · 16-01-2013 11:22PM

sfwcork wrote: »

Are they reporting the trouble up north?

Why dont you go onto the isralie boards and ask why not

Someone just reverse godwinned the thread.

What has israel got to do with it?

wexie · 16-01-2013 11:24PM

DrumSteve wrote: »

Someone just reverse godwinned the thread.

What has israel got to do with it?

Something to do with suicide bombers wanting to liberate natural resources.

Better ask Aquarius....

Tombo2001 · 16-01-2013 11:28PM

Project Werewolf wrote: »

Pakistan is on a different continent, with a very different culture. They speak a different language and very few Irish people live there. No Irish were injured in the attacks. We don't have any close diplomatic or economic ties with Pakistan.

It's fair to say most irish people don't have much interest in what happens there. We are going to be interested in events nearer to us or in places more familiar to us.

United States is on a different continent. Culture is quite different to here.

When there as a gun attack in a school there late last year, the press were all over it for a week. No Irish people died in it. Irish radio chat shows were having big debates about gun laws in a North American country that couldnt give a flying f**k what we think.....

Whats the difference.

Project Werewolf · 16-01-2013 11:29PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

So why would our media air such news, and lets be honest, do we think the media care about the casualties?

I thought the issue was that is wasn't being aired. Media don't give a fcuk about casualties, they only care about readership/viewer figures. That's why a massacre in Pakistan ranks lower than an incident in Europe. They will report it because that's what they do but the headlines are going to be what affects and concerns Irish people. By and large, Pakistan doesn't.

sfwcork · 16-01-2013 11:30PM

Us is a super power.there actions affect all

Aquarius34 · 16-01-2013 11:31PM

So my point about coughing into my soup is, I don't believe what the media put out.

Project Werewolf · 16-01-2013 11:34PM

Tombo2001 wrote: »

United States is on a different continent. Culture is quite different to here.

When there as a gun attack in a school there late last year, the press were all over it for a week. No Irish people died in it. Irish radio chat shows were having big debates about gun laws in a North American country that couldnt give a flying f**k what we think.....

Whats the difference.

Culture is far more similar than Pakistans. When you turn on your tv are you watching US or Pakistani shows?

Do you have relatives or friends in the US? Likely. Do you have any in Pakistan? unlikely.

How many Pakistani multinationals in Ireland?

US and Ireland could be considered Christian countries. Pakistan wouldn't.

I could go on all night. No ones that interested in Pakistan here.

wadefuq · 16-01-2013 11:34PM

Another example of our press ignoring a story would be that of the typhoon in the phillipines in December, over 300 people dead and another 400 missing... However the "mega storm" in New York was news for a week.. our medias love in with all things American annoys me at times, anyway, thats a story for another day, apologies for being off topic

MadsL · 16-01-2013 11:35PM

Aquarius34 wrote: »

So my point about coughing into my soup is, I don't believe what the media put out.

Given half of your 600+ posts in a couple of weeks are in Conspiracy Theories, why does that not surprise me.

Cookie_Monster · 16-01-2013 11:36PM

Pakistan are the bad guys in our Western-Americanised world view so there's little interest in reporting that type of news here.

jimmycrackcorm · 16-01-2013 11:37PM

MadsL wrote: »

Christ, is it me or is the intelligence level of this thread nosediving out of control.

This is AH; nose diving is expected.

wendell borton · 16-01-2013 11:39PM

One of the Kurds who was shot dead was a founding member of the PKK, who are currently negotiating a peace treaty with Turkey. So hardly a minor incident especially with alleged Iranian involvement.

Tombo2001 · 16-01-2013 11:41PM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Pakistan are the bad guys in our Western-Americanised world view so there's little interest in reporting that type of news here.

having been there, incredibly friendly people.....very hospitable, often had people offer to pay for my lunch or coffee. Interesting fact, they are big into table football. Was a good way to interact with people there.

Its a country with a hundred million people. Thats bigger than France or Germany.

Tombo2001 · 16-01-2013 11:44PM

wendell borton wrote: »

One of the Kurds who was shot dead was a founding member of the PKK, who are currently negotiating a peace treaty with Turkey. So hardly a minor incident especially with alleged Iranian involvement.

I'm not saying its a minor incident......I'm saying its not as big a story as what happened in Pakistan. And on that, if the Kurdish guy was shot in Erzurum instead of Paris would anyone had reported on it.......

terrorism in pakistan

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