In the way to work I saw the headline on the front page of one of our national newspapers “10 dead in earthquake in Italy”
This was a shocking story – people dying in an earthquake in a location that is so familiar to us.
As we sadly know now that headline was out of date and the number is now 287 and even sadder again by the time I publish this post and you read it this figure will be higher.
When this tragic number increases it is incremental news and if it jumps by another 30 it will never be as shocking as the first headline we read about 10 perishing in the earthquake.
To the best of my knowledge no Irish people died but three from the UK are confirmed as dead. Sadly one of these was a young child.
If an Irish person died the shock to us would increase, when people from the UK are involved that does shock us because we feel they are more like us and when the awful news came through that one of those that died was a child the shock increased.
I asked the guys in work a question about numbers and differences.
If the same earthquake happened in Egypt what number of dead would be needed to shock you to the same level? – Its a horrible question to ask but everyone mentioned a much, much higher number.
If it was Africa? A much higher number.
USA? The answer was the sane as Italy because aren’t they the same as us?
Australia? Pretty much the same.
So, are we different or are we all the same?
Of course we are all the same and just one person dying in a tragedy is terrible, no matter where it is.
Isn’t it?
Greg Canty is a Partner of Fuzion who offer Marketing, PR, GraphicDesign services from our offices in Dublin and Cork, Ireland
Tags: Cork, Dublin, Earthquake in Italy, Fuzion PR Marketing, Graphic Design, Greg Canty
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