3 Crew die in cruise liner smash

[Lysfoss]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100226/twl-british-tourists-hurt-in-cruise-line-3fd0ae9.html

[IACSman]

:-x Well, it is quite typical. The heading of the article says that a british tourist was injured, and then it goes on to say, almost like; "....and by the way 3 sailors were killed..." The focus is put on the injured tourist. And this year, 2010, is the year of the seaman, according to IMO and UN. The respect for, and the value of sailors is always at the bottom of interest of the media. Is always more interesting if some birds die or a rare underwater reef is damaged.
Sorry people, just blowing off some steam here!
 :-(  :-(  :-(

[Lysfoss]

Excatly the point i try to get across! No care in the world of the crew! Just the "injured" tourist which am sure was very minimum!! Thats why i say 3 Crew die in cruise liner smash!

[Richard Bruce]

It's a British newspaper writing about a Briitsh citizen.  The poor sailors were probably from a third world nation.  Their families do spend money in England.  The paper should at least publish their names and their home town, if next of kin have been notified.

[Kelvin Davies]

We seem to have different ways of reading.
I don't like either Sky News or the Sun. I have even written a blog about what a rag the Sun is.
To be fair though; in each case, the article may carry the headline about British tourists being injured but each article has the deaths of the 3 crew members up there at the beginning of the first paragraph, identifying at least the nationality of each crewman.
Even the ship's owners have not released the names, so you would hardly expect the newspapers to do so.
If the news items had been headlined "Ship crashes into dock", they would not have got any readers.
Putting the British tourists in the headline ensures the article will attract the attention of the readers.
The Italian press headline was "Costa Europa hits pier in Sharm, 3 dead" and then leads off with "An Italian was injured..."

[IACSman]

:-) It does not matter where they come from, their lives are just as valuable as the tourists. The point is, if this accident "only" have caused the death of the 3 sailors, no western newspapers would have mentioned it at all....unless some oil was spilled and some bird was stuck in it..

[Morten]

Honestly, I think people are blowing this somewhat out of proportions! Yes, it is VERY tragic that 3 sailors died! But, it is an occupational hazard, and tragic as it is, this happens every day all around the world! Some ships have appalling safety standards (especially in africa and asia). If the news had to report it every time a sailor died, there would be nothing else in the papers. And what about the traveling salesmen who are killed in car crashes? Or how about soldiers killed in war? Do you hear about it every time a danish soldier is killed?

It is only natural that a british newspaper focus on the british nationals involved! That's the news story for them... Not that three foreign nationals were killed on a foreign flagged vessel! So yes, if no brits had been injured, we wouldn't have heard of it. But then again, you don't read about it in your local newspaper when three people are killed in an industrial accident in Germany, do you? Isn't that just as bad?!

[IACSman]

People die, it's a fact. But consider this: Last summer, in same week, the NIS-flagged vessel(Norwegian flagged) "Langeland" sank off the Swedish coast, with the loss off all hands onboard, 6 people. All of them non-Norwegians, from eastern Europe. At the same time, a Panama bulker off the Norwegian coast, drifted aground and started to leak oil, destroying the holiday beaches.
Guess what "incident" that was covered the most? The destroyed beaches and birds, or the 6 people that died? Both incidents in same area...
The media have no interest in maritime matters when "only" seamens vanish, they are interested in spectacular stories with "great" pictures of birds in oil, which of course is tragic as well.
So no, I don't think that this is is blowing out of proportions. Comparing sailors to soldiers....weeeell, sailors normally don't write their last will before joining the ship, but soldiers do(well, some of them).....

[Morten]

I was working on a ferry between Denmark and Norway at the time and followed both stories and yes, there was more coverage of the Full City incident, but that was because it unfolded over a longer period of time. Just when Langeland sank, it was in both Danish, Swedish and Norwegian news. Full City wasn't covered at all in danish media besides an occasional foot note in the maritime news papers and portals. I agree that the news does favor the "interesting" stories over the ones with actual content, but that is because they have to sell their news papers. If they didn't have to care about selling papers or getting viewers, things would be different, but they aren't.

This story is from a british source so it is only natural that they concentrate on the british injuries. As a (now former) seaman, I can understand your frustration, but don't you think the soldiers are equally frustrated when no newspapers report that one of their friends was killed or seriously injured by an IED?! More than a thoussand people are killed daily in industrial accidents in china alone (and an equal number in India), I'll bet you you didn't know that? So why isn't that on the front page of every newspaper on a daily basis - because in all reality, we don't really care that much! The only reason why we care for these three poor sailors is because we share their profession! The general public don't really care about three people from foreign countries, but their neighbor is something different, that is something they can relate to! So if you want to blame someone, don't blame the newspapers, but the indifference of your peers!

[IACSman]

You are right; there are many things I do not know, one thing for certain is that I don't presume to know what other people know or don't know.
Please don't count me into the group of people "who don't care that much". I feel sad if that is your perception of the world. The disaster in Haiti and other places clearly shows, in my humble opinion, that people DO care for people living in other countries. People that are totally strangers.
I care for seamans, because I have been one for 20 years, so I actually respond to things that I deem unfair when it comes to seamens, I don't just shrug my shoulders and say: "Who cares? Not me". Soldiers generally can also speak up for themself.
Why is it for example not interesting news to show that lifeboat-drills kills more people than lifeboats actually saves?
But nobody cares, right?

[Luko P.]

IACSman, you are right. I agree with you.

[IACSman]

:-) Thank you lupe! People have different opinions, and I respect that, but indifference is not a good thing...Take care!