Couldry and Hepp defined a media event as a high holiday of mass communication. Incidents that interrupt routine and that monopolize media communication across different channels and programs can be classified as media events. An example of a 21st century media event is the September 11th terrorist attack. This tragic event was not only publisized in the United States, but throughout the world, thus making it a true media event that spread dismay around the entire world.
On September 21, 2001, terrorists from al-Qaeda hijacked and crashed two planes into the Twin Towers, and another plane into the Pentagon. Nearly three-thousand innocent civilians were killed in the process. People from more than 90 different countries were killed just as a result from the attack on the World Trade Center. The 9/11 terrorist attacks both shocked and frightened the world, but created a sense of empathy and compassion that spread rapidly across many nations. This event received months of attention on news stations throughout the globe because terrorism was, and still is, a global problem and a threat to nations worldwide. Countries were supportive towards Americans and sent their condolences to the U.S. German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder declared that the events were "not only attacks on the people in the United States, our friends in America, but also against the entire civilized world, against our own freedom, against our own values, values which we share with the American people." The devastating attacks on 9/11 united many countries to fight terrorism. Countries across the world continue to have a vulnerability that the attacks of 9/11 clearly reminded us of. It reminds us that humanity, compassion, fear, and freedom is shared by so many; yet, it sometimes takes a monumental event, like 9/11 to bring our world
I think it's interesting how you mentioned that media events "interrupt routine." I thought about it after I read it and you are absolutely correct.
ReplyDeleteI remember that all these large-scale media events such as 9/11 and the death of Michael Jackson were taking place worldwide due to news channels, newspapers, etc. Also, they did indeed routine. People spent a large part of the day listening, watching, reading news about the event. I remember my family had CNN on for days nonstop after the attacks on the World Trade Center happened.