| We live in a world which is more | | | | involving Australia and England, 190 people |
| interconnected than ever and we have the | | | | were arrested and ejected from the game, yet |
| unprecedented ability to find out almost | | | | that did not generate anywhere near the |
| instantly about what is going on both in | | | | television, news or talk back radio coverage |
| terms of large events and on an individual | | | | that this comparatively minor incident at the |
| level anywhere in the world. That being said, | | | | Australian Open or indeed the humble 3 people |
| if you watch our average nightly news | | | | who were arrested at the unprecedented |
| broadcast, you could be forgiven for thinking | | | | sell-out domestic soccer match between |
| that very little exists beyond our northern | | | | Melbourne and Sydney in December. It seems |
| shoreline and depending on which state you | | | | that when things involve a more local game |
| are from and watching the broadcast in, | | | | like cricket we are more eager to turn a |
| nothing significant goes on beyond your local | | | | blind eye. |
| state border. Our television stations are | | | | |
| taking advantage of the new technology like | | | | However it is our apathy, despite the |
| web news services, blogs, You Tube, etc. to a | | | | numerous advantages we have over all our |
| certain extent but only seemingly when it | | | | ancestors, even ones as recent as 10 years |
| applies to the most local of issues. Due to | | | | ago, that is most concerning. While if you |
| the advent of satellite and live video | | | | browse the videos of You Tube, you can view |
| streaming technology we can know what is | | | | first accounts of not just horrors but some |
| happening in the most remote or dangerous | | | | of the major achievements and milestones all |
| places and be able to form truly informed | | | | over the world, you are extremely unlikely to |
| opinions on the major issues around the | | | | see any of this on any of our commercial |
| world. However we seemingly don't care. | | | | networks unless it has some connection to |
| | | | Australia, we have a spare couple of minutes |
| Watching a recent nightly news broadcast on | | | | to fill in or if it such a huge story that it |
| one of our 3 major networks, the first 15 | | | | demands airtime or newspaper space. The one |
| minutes of coverage included bushfires, crowd | | | | news service we have that devotes itself to |
| violence at the tennis, traffic light | | | | the most significant stories regardless of |
| outages, power shortages as well a couple of | | | | country of origin, the SBS World News doesn't |
| basic human interest pieces. On this same | | | | rate well as we are more concerned about |
| day, 2 of Sadaam Hussein's top advisors were | | | | what our hidden camera technology show people |
| executed, thousands were killed in Sudan, the | | | | doing in change rooms on the current affair |
| EU was facing a major crisis, China was | | | | shows or the latest romance and break up on |
| launching a major environmental initiative, | | | | Neighbours. At least now that we have so many |
| Australia was flagging the possibility of | | | | media sources to choose from because of the |
| selling Uranium to India and the list goes on | | | | Internet, people who truly do care about real |
| and on. As unsavoury as the mini scuffle at | | | | issues both home and abroad are able to |
| the tennis was, it doesn't compare to | | | | access this information easily via You Tube |
| genocide in Africa. And that particular issue | | | | or Web News Services & Blogs and not be just |
| regarding the crowd brawl at the tennis | | | | be a slave to the inane and largely |
| brings up another point in that how quickly | | | | insignificant coverage of our commercial |
| we (& our media) are quick to criticise and | | | | networks. Hopefully it may not be long before |
| condemn events which involve people or things | | | | You Tube outrates Channel 9 news and Google |
| that are not "Australian". At one of the | | | | News Services has a greater readership than |
| recent one day international cricket games | | | | the Herald Sun. |