First and foremost, I believe that the terrorism that occurred on 9-11 is the most tragic and influential global event that took place in the 21st century. It was the first time since the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II that blood was shed on American soil. The attack on 9-11 also gave the United States an excuse of a reason to send troops to the Middle East and become the enforcer of democracy.
Secondly, recent events that are taking place in Korea are having global impacts. The fact that war between North Korea and South Korea is an actual possibility also causes me to believe that war can break out on a global scale. As a South Korean, this issue brings me great concern on behalf of my people, especially my friends who have just entered military service in Korea.
Lastly, the collapse of the Greek market and the weakening of the Euro-zone is also something that has great influence on our global society. This was the first time in years that the Euro depreciated in such great value, although it is recovering again. Since many economically influential nations are a part of the Euro-zone, this has great impact on the rest of the world that have ties with European nations.
As for the media coverage, I believe that only events that would pique the interests of the public are covered on a daily, or even weekly basis. For example, the events of 9-11 and the natural disasters of Haiti were covered on a major scale. As for the situation with Korea, I was disappointed to see that it was covered in such minor detail in the beginning when the South Korean ship was blown up. Only when the situation escalated and was later revealed that North Korea might have been involved did the media gain interest.
The cyberspace plays an active role in informing the world of major global events. Visuals and clips of 9-11 shook the world and people actually felt the horrors of terrorism through videos and images posted on various internet sites. The homeless children of Haiti moved the hearts of the public and major donations were given to repair the country. Not only does the cyberspace inform the public, but it also blows certain situations out of proportion to make them more dramatic.
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The perceived reality of events around the world is often dictated by the media covering the events. The terrorist attacks of 9-11 and major events will of course receive a vast amount of media coverage. Your example of the escalating situation in the Korea’s is at the other end of the spectrum. The possibility of war breaking out at the 58th parallel, while slim, is still a possibility. The news following this event was out there but you had to actively look for it while sifting through the other events the media wishes to cover. The interconnectivity we all share sometimes dilutes us to how much control the media has over our daily lives.
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