STAFF EDIT: Overexposure

The 33 Chilean miners who have been trapped underground for more than two months were rescued Tuesday, in a story that dominated the news coverage and captivated the world. The story was the ultimate human-interest piece, with all the makings of a front-page headline, but whether the event’s newsworthiness merited the wall-to-wall coverage is questionable.

There is no doubt that the story of the Chilean miners deserved press. It was interesting, emotionally affecting and inspiring. But the extent to which it was covered by all the major news outlets was excessive to say the least, overshadowing all other news of the day. A ticker counting down the time until rescue was put up on CNN’s website while The New York Times featured mini-biographies for every one of the 33 trapped miners. Nearly every major news organization dedicated the entire front page of their website to the rescue efforts. When a human-interest piece turns into a media frenzy, newspapers need to reexamine their philosophy for determining coverage.

The Chilean miner story is indicative of our collective obsession with the 24-hour news cycle. With a constant need to fill content, news organizations feel the need to provide every detail about subjects that don’t necessarily need to be reported in that much depth. Instead of using resources on less immediately interesting, but ultimately far more important initiatives, such as investigative journalism, the press squanders its time trying to please the public. And rather than giving the miners the respect that they deserve after this traumatizing situation, the media is using them as a tool to increase web traffic.

The situation also begs the question of how newspapers determine how much coverage to give certain stories. Why does the story of 33 men trapped underground get more coverage than floods that have left millions injured or displaced in Pakistan? Or of a war raging in Afghanistan?

Yes, the miner story is inspiring. But news coverage shouldn’t be about what is inspiring, or what will garner the most web hits. The story was interesting, but at the end of the day it only immediately affects the families and friends of those trapped, as well as the Chilean mining community. The story had little relevance to the majority of the world.

By focusing on stories of long-term importance rather than harping on those of immediate gratification, newspapers could do a real public service. With the news business constantly changing, it is time for the editors and broadcasters at organizations such as The New York Times and CNN to really put things in perspective. They should examine their priorities and begin dedicating more time and money toward stories of great importance, even if they take more time to uncover.