Thailand cave

With the media now moving on from the Thai cave rescue, Crikey readers reflect on the forces which made it such a newsworthy story in the first place (while so many others fail to gain traction). Also, readers agree with Guy Rundle: Kylie Jenner’s ‘fortune’ is ultimately a mirage.

On the Thai cave media frenzy

Rais writes: That was a harsh summary of what the media is about, Helen but I honestly can’t find anything in it to argue against. I’m a Muslim and I was praying for those boys and the rescuers, God bless them. But I couldn’t help thinking about the many, many children in perhaps less clickworthy peril who are ignored by the media. Children on the streets of Tennant Creek, reported on AM this morning by “our” ABC (support it while you still can). Children in Syria, Gaza, among our Nauru captives, children in Somalia, children kidnapped into ragtag armies in Congo. Can’t say I’ve heard much about any of these from Newscorpse or Fairfax.

Mick Radelaide writes: Well said, Helen. Compare the almost blanket coverage of this story by the Australian media with their complete disregard for what is happening to children in Yemen and Syria. Or that lawyers have to take the Australian government to court in order to get them to bring children to Australia from Nauru for urgent medical treatment.

Jack Robertson writes: Legacy journalism is really only about legacy journalism, now. These old media pros write for, to, about and solely according to the limiting forum-imperatives of… other old media pros. It’s not really their fault: they’re each imprisoned by the banal tyranny of their particular old modes.

These “professional journalists”, they just can’t stop churning out The Blah — even if the $$ returns diminish daily alongside the currency marker. So… off they dutifully go, go and stand in front of a Thai cave in the jungle, utter their 45 second to-camera generic panto-platitudes on humanity/heroics every couple of hours or so (along with 5000 colleagues). If they don’t? They cease to be ‘”a journalist” (and someone else even more vacuously ambitious steps into their flak jacket and resumes the cadence). 

Great piece, HR. Worth every non-legacy new word market cent, precisely because you don’t have to give a shit whether or not I think it’s worth every cent. So… thank you, Crikey publisher. Don’t ever, ever make/let your writers start chasing our subscriptions, or our applause. And you’ll keep getting both. From me, anyways. I like writing I hate, writing that hurts, most of all.

 

On Kylie Jenner and capitalism’s failure

Dog’s Breakfast writes: I often think of the poor white men (my ancestors) who sailed across oceans to meet the indigenous of this land, and thought them primitive. Too stupid to recognise a tribal system living in harmony with the land where labour was virtually unknown, societal bonds strong, a bountiful earth that they didn’t even have to till.

All of your words ring true. I’m reminded of the stock market, where if everybody wants to sell, it’s suddenly worth not very much at all. A society that knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.

Arky writes: The articles about Kylie Jenner’s “fortune” based on an inflated valuation someone has invented for her cosmetics company say more about how journalists are easily taken in by headline-friendly stories based on numbers they don’t understand than it says about capitalism.

Send your comments, corrections, clarifications and cock-ups to boss@crikey.com.au. We reserve the right to edit comments for length. Please include your full name.