When is Tragedy Newsworthy?

This morning we are given the tragic news that the 12 miners met a terrible end in the deep dark depths of the earth in a West Virginia coal mine. One person survived. Of course it is a news worthy event, but not because the media can run to the scene and give us pictures of mothers, wives, sons and daughters overwrought with grief. This is what we will see, because "they" somehow have decided that this is the story that Americans are demanding. Matt Lauer was on a plane last night rushing to the scene to give us the latest.

The real tragedy is that with over 100,000 deaths in American mines in the last 100 years that we still do nothing to manifest real change. We will all watch the news as it trickles across the airways telling us detail, after endless detail. There will be corrections and misstatements galore.

Then eventually we will all be given details of the many safety violations within the mine and the dangers that these poor people must face. We will be told how brave the men are that walk into the mine each day. And we will learn that they have been complaining to management for years about the working conditions. This is a story that seems to repeat time and time again. This will of course raise eyebrows and maybe even a few voices. Then the forces that run the industry, determine the laws, and control the politicians will make certain that nothing is changed that would "negatively effect production." This is the tragic story that should be told.

I can only hope that I'm wrong.

It is very good to see that NBC has chosen to run a few other news stories on the Today Show this morning. Of course the latest diet pill being used in Hollywood is big news.

CNN seems to have one.