We Must Remember Victims After They Leave the Headlines
By Olivia Lapeyrolerie ’11
News Staff Reporter
This is my first term writing for the Opinions section of The News. When I am choosing what to write about, I look outside the Choate bubble. I decided to commit myself to writing about important global issues and events. I give the facts and I state my opinion.
When conducting my research for the articles, I would visit CNN.com. I consider CNN one of the most reputable news sources in America. However, there is one thing that bothers me about how the public utilizes CNN and all other news sources. After a brief period of time, most major stories are forgotten as they are removed from headlines, and eventually they leave the public consciousness.
This rapid cycle bothers me beyond belief. The normal course of events is: something terrible happens which is out of your control; you feel bad; you might donate some money to an organization or inform the people around you. Then, after a while, the issue or event will eventually lose top billing and becomes obsolete to the public. Despite the fact that the headlines have changed, the people involved in the original tragedy still need help. How can we easily forget such devastation?
I used to be one of those people who forgot. Then, Hurricane Katrina happened. My dad’s entire family lives in New Orleans, and I was greatly affected by the storm. People were very sympathetic and asked what to do to help me. A lot of my parents’ friends sent money to the Red Cross, and I was thankful for that, but it was never enough to help all the people in need. Then, when I went to New Orleans several months later, I knew that there was still much work to be done. Everything still appeared to be in disarray. After a year of news coverage, the story had been phased out. It was replaced with more recent news; however, new developments were still happening every day in New Orleans. Because it was not on the news, people just did not seem to care anymore. They found something else to pity.
I really believe that this shows our society’s dependence on the media. The power of the press is real—they do have some control over us. I understand that every day, there are new developments in the world. I know it is the press’s job to inform the public. But I think we still need to remember those people in need who are no longer on page one.
