U.S. media’s lack of focus on Hurricane Sandy’s fatalities highlight stark cultural divide

Just finished reading in the Forward about the deaths of a young man and woman who were crushed by a falling tree. I had known that dozens of people had been killed in the storm, but that didn't have the personal impact that the story about two dead individuals had. Maybe the sense of loss would overwhelm Americans were they to read about the dead as individuals who had lives. I still think they should do so, however, despite the pain. The dead and their surviving families deserve at least that much attention.

We do that eventually.

Ignoring the dead after Hurricane Sandy is a long tradition in the U.S. War casualties were always played down during the Viet Nam war and after 1972 our government asserted there were no more soldiers in Viet Nam. When a decade later a Prisoner of War escaped from Viet Nam, the Justice Dept. put him in jail alleging he was a traitor. Later when newspaper reported went to verify the escaped POW's claim that hundreds of POW's were still alive in Viet Nam, they found the POW in prison had been telling the truth. Read "Into the Buzzsaw" to better understand how the U.S. media persecutes investigative reporters who report the truth and instead report the news to control and propagandize the masses.

If Americans started caring then we would have to actually protect all the little people, its Capitalism we can't allow that to happen.

that is killed is seen in Israel as a victim of anti-semitism. When that is the case it has to be brought to attention of course. But when 8 people in Germany are being killed because they are Turkish or Greek it is hardly mentioned in the Israeli media. Isn't it time to get rid of that attitude? All life should be protected against racism. Not only Jewish life.

Maybe Israel's tribal cult of victimization is a reason why they have not and will not make peace with their enemies. Someone should teach Israel to break the cycle of grievance.

America has many different peoples and there is little to bind them as a people. Multiple religions, races, backgrounds lead to a nation of strangers. Israel is a united Jewish state.

Yes, the US is so hardened to deaths - 50,000 + killed in auto accidents each year - that we do not print pictures and life stories of every casualty as Israel does for Israelis. Israeli media even do stories on those suffering "shock" at rocket attacks where no one is injured. But, on the other hand Israeli media does surprisingly little with honoring the Palestinian and Lebanese civilians killed in its massive bombing attacks.

The observations of this article are correct. However, much of this comes from the globalization of news coverage, and the need to have dramatic stories footage and photos that will grab national and international interest. The coverage of the deaths in each community can be found in smaller, local new sources, such as the Staten Island Advance (in contrast to the New York Times). In Israel all media coverage is national, rather than local, so the same phenomenon applies.

I've never understood the obsession with this. If I am the unfortunate victim of some crime or traffic accident, I absolutely would not want the Israeli press harassing my mother moments after my death so they can print the private details of my life in the paper, just so random israelis who didn't know me can be overly dramatic about the accident.

A very thought-provoking article, as to be expected from you, but I tend to disagree to a certain extent. First, you mention wars and soldiers falling in battle, yet Hurricane Sandy was a natural disaster so that is the starting point. As for the American media reporting on fallen soldiers and those lost on 9/11, they have proven exemplary in highlighting personal stories. Too much so in some cases, especially in those newspapers and TV networks that called for them to go off to that senseless war in Iraq and get killed in the first place. NOW they're sorry? As for the American NATIONAL media not focusing on the scores of dead killed in the hurricane--you're right, the individuals have not been highlighted as well as they could have been. But anyone who watches local TV news in the tri-state area and reads the local, small circulation press will find ample coverage of these individuals, right down to interviews at the local schools and places of work. My guess is that schools and church groups will create small charities in the names of some of those killed so that donations can help similar victims. That is a model we have seen time and time again. You state that Israeli press coverage of individuals now extends to those killed in traffic accidents. US local TV coverage has been way ahead of you on this, and it is ghoulish practice.It's awful and I'm sorry Israeli media is picking up on this staple of the early evening local news (traffic accidents and bad weather are great ways to open every broadcast--it will keep them tuned in). Finally, both societies use (or bury) personal stories to enhance--or hide from-- the national conversation. Every Israeli killed by some insane terrorist does deserve to be remembered--and the Israeli press is to be commended. The point you almost raise, but don't, is why the American press doesn't personalize the stories of those citizens murdered with handguns and assault rifles. Their faces and their stories are too quickly hidden, because (I feel) Americans don't want to be reminded that gun control in the US is a hopeless and lost cause. And there will, of course, be a next time.

You must not read the various media outlets, I have read the bios of those who died a few days ago, they were posted on CNN daily, and if you did not know, PBS has shown in silence the picture, name, rank, and hometown of US military personnel killed in Iraq. ... The NewsHour added military personnel killed in Afghanistan to the segment. It has been going on for years, every night. You should be more informed then rush to convenient conclusions.

You're way off base. There are more than 300 million Americans, and while the death of 100 is a sad event, the news not just their deaths but how the storm affects the lives of millions of others who are trying to get back to "normal." The lingering effect is what drives the news. Contrast this event with the shootings in Colorado in the summer. There was a lot of attention given to the victims of the Colorado shooting because once the tragedy was over, there was no continuing story -- the gunman was captured so the threat was gone. Besides, I have heard stories about the people who died, even though I live more than 1,000 miles from the East Coast.

I do not agree with you that there is a difference in cultural values between Israel and the USA that would change the media's coverage of the tragic event. Could you give some examples that would justify your comments?

THE U.S. RESPONSE TO SANDY HAS SHOWN EXCEPTIONAL COMPETENCE, EFFICIENCY AND COMPASSION. YOUR COMMENTS ARE UNNECESSARY, UNHELPFUL AND POINTLESS