USA news coverage on UK flooding

[soon_to_be_halfBRIT]

The flooding in the UK, needless to say, is a terrible situation. I (an American)live here in Yorkshire with my British wife. I have family and friends back in the US. So, when I speak with my parents, they tell me they have not heard anything about the flooding! I check NBC nightly news online and nothing there! I scower the internet for any news coverage in the states. To our disappointment, no coverage anywhere except here!

I want to ask everyone, what are your opinions,thoughts, etc. about this?

[Penguins_Pet_Pumpkin]

A friend of mine from Manchester moved to my old area in Washington state. She dealt with the severe flooding that northern Washington suffers every spring. The only reason I know this is from her telling me.

I suppose it's a big world and there's always flooding somewhere. So we're not hearing about severe flooding in the States any more than they're hearing about it here. Not counting devastation flooding, by the way. When a town is wiped out entirely, it's news everywhere.

I've scoured the UK news sources for news like this in America too. I think this is the sort of thing that's only reported locally.

[soon_to_be_halfBRIT]

Originally Posted by Penguins_Pet_Pumpkin

A friend of mine from Manchester moved to my old area in Washington state. She dealt with the severe flooding that northern Washington suffers every spring. The only reason I know this is from her telling me.

I suppose it's a big world and there's always flooding somewhere. So we're not hearing about severe flooding in the States any more than they're hearing about it here. Not counting devastation flooding, by the way. When a town is wiped out entirely, it's news everywhere.

I've scoured the UK news sources for news like this in America too. I think this is the sort of thing that's only reported locally.

I totally disagree. Nearly any catastrophic event in the US is covered, I must say, very effeciently by the BBC and Sky. As a matter of fact, so well that some of the details of events I see here in the UK about the US are so well covered that when I mention these details to family, friends back in the states, they say they have'nt heard anything about what I had.

My wife and I, especially during the very well done coverage of Katrina with stratigically stationarily placed on location BBC corospondants in New Orleans, came to the conclusion that we here in the UK HEAR more about US matters than the US people themselves!

So, your remark about... "So we're not hearing about severe flooding in the States any more than they're hearing about it here.".....is simply not true. If anything at all the British know more about what's happening in the US then the US themselves!...I'm sad to say. No offense and with all due respect, if you think we here in the UK are not being informed by the BBC about whats happening in the states, then I ask you where do you get your news from????

More importantly, why are not the US media not bothered about saying anything to the public about the flooding situation taking place right now in the UK?

[Penguins_Pet_Pumpkin]

I'm sorry if I offended you. I did say though that the Washington flooding is not reported here. Does someone know differently about this?

Every spring, northern Washington suffers from severe flooding. I have not heard word one about this here in the UK. But I don't find this surprising. America is approximately 3000 miles from coast to coast and between 1000 and 1500 miles north to south. There are natural catastrophes happening all over that huge land mass on a regular basis.

As far as America covering disasters here though, I did find that The New York Times has coverage on the front page. I can't post the link here because I haven't posted enough on this site yet, but try googling "New York Times Online."

[soon_to_be_halfBRIT]

Originally Posted by Penguins_Pet_Pumpkin

I'm sorry if I offended you. I did say though that the Washington flooding is not reported here. Does someone know differently about this?

Every spring, northern Washington suffers from severe flooding. I have not heard word one about this here in the UK. But I don't find this surprising. America is approximately 3000 miles from coast to coast and between 1000 and 1500 miles north to south. There are natural catastrophes happening all over that huge land mass on a regular basis.

As far as America covering disasters here though, I did find that The New York Times has coverage on the front page. I can't post the link here because I haven't posted enough on this site yet, but try googling "New York Times Online."

No you did not offend me at all, but obviously I did you. Dont know what to tell you there, but I was proving my point through my own opinions, mostly based on facts, and if the truth hurts, I cant help that.

Makes sense about all areas not being covered on BBC because of its vastness. But thats exactly my point, with the UK being much smaller yet the vast proportions of the flood problems they have at this very moment, you would think that this would be major headlines all over the US and it is'nt yet! Now that does not make sense.

I'll try your NY times and see. I doubt anything being said though because this has been going on since last month and still nothing said.

By the way I doubt something that's expected every year compares in the devestation that the Britons are experiencing right at this moment. I feel sorry for those guys over in Gloucestershire.

[smcquie]

I think (and this is just my opinion - I don't mean to offend or be gross) but there have been few fatalities in the UK floods compared to the massive loss of human life in the New Orleans floods.
Australia has also recently been hit with massive floods that I wouldn't have known about other than by my parents telling me. I would hazard a guess that there is so much going on in the US generally that news from outside the country has to be big to make it in... that's not to say that Americans are not interested, but there is alot to report locally already.

[Penguins_Pet_Pumpkin]

I agree entirely. I think it's probably true the world over that foreign news is only reported when it's larger scale or in some way affects the country reporting it.

The flooding here (and in northern Washington, by the way) is very tragic. But it's not catastrophic. If it was, it certainly would be reported around the globe.

[smcquie]

Originally Posted by Penguins_Pet_Pumpkin

I agree entirely. I think it's probably true the world over that foreign news is only reported when it's larger scale or in some way affects the country reporting it.

The flooding here (and in northern Washington, by the way) is very tragic. But it's not catastrophic. If it was, it certainly would be reported around the globe.

eloquently said!