The mainstream media in the West has the attention span of a hyperactive chihuahua. If you cast you mind back -oh, about three months ago, you'll recall there was some kind of disaster in Japan and something about nuclear reactors melting down. But then the Arab Spring came to Egypt and threatened to topple a key American ally in the region, not to mention one of the pillars of Israel's security regime. Suddenly nuclear meltdowns were old news. Then the situation in Egypt stabilized somewhat and the West decided to intervene in Libya. But even with NATO air support the Libyan rebels couldn't deliver headline grabbing victories, and then Osama bin Laden got assassinated, and Libya was forgotten.

You can't blame the news organizations, really. They can only afford a limited number of millionaire celebrity correspondents and even Anderson Cooper can't be two places at once!

The demonstration in Cairo was part of the Nakab demonstrations and covered in the press. Do you really think Israel deserves front page coverage all the time in all the papers? Haaretz lead article right now is the Obama visit to Jordan. If you really must be in the headlines begin meaningful peace talks with the Palestinians or begin dismantling illegal settlements

well said both of you.

So let me approach again. 

Why aren't we(st) covering Alabama? 

Why will we only look at Missouri for this week?

In New York they're cutting 5% of public school teachers, what about that?


How should one engage with the media when what it covers is so fleeting? How should one engage with a world that at once seems both very present and abstract? 

What happens to a social being when he or she is overexposed to the world? 

What is the responsibility of the media in narrowing its coverage focus? and how do we as local/national/global citizens focus our own attention? 

I started this post by asking about Israel, but why should everyone care about Israel? I only do because I have Israeli friends. Anyone else might have started this post about something important to them.