Tides of sympathy

If a brown person is hit by a tsunami, and there's no Swedish vacationer around to hear the storm's roar, will the media still make a sound? \nIn the past few days, I've been analyzing American media's coverage of Dec. 26's tsunami. And I've developed this theory:\nCatastrophe is an expected occurrence in the Third World. Only until the wealthy, white or well-connected are directly affected by a tragedy does the world do more than offer its pity.\nFor example, interior designer Nate Berkus, a wonderfully fabulous regular guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," was forced out of his SriLankan resort bungalow by the monstrous waves. During the disaster, Berkus was separated by the waves from his travel partner and friend, Fernando Bengoechea. \n"Extra" recently reported that Oprah actually sent an elite group of ex-Marines, along with a show producer, to search for Berkus' missing friend.\nBut what about those people who don't have an Oprah-commissioned search team?\nMy heart goes out to folks like Nate Berkus and the innocent families who sought islandrespite but are now either dead or separated from their loved ones. I'm more concerned, however, for those locals who, once considered poor, are now even more economically, emotionally and socially crippled. \nWhen news stations began broadcasting footage of Thailand's villages -- before and after the floods -- my mother's first reaction was, "Ay, Mel, it reminds me of the Philippines."\nThe funny thing is most folks probably look at footage of barefoot youngsters treading along unpaved roads in Sri Lanka and recognize the footage as evidence of the tsunami's devastation. But the reality is that poverty in Third World countries, as a result of disease, famines, earthquakes and civil war, is nothing new to the areas. A photographer could have easily captured the images we see today years ago during civil war in Sri Lanka. \nIt's America's increased concern that's brand new. \nThe faces of the displaced victims touched me, not just because they could easily pass for any of my Filipino relatives, but simply because I'm human. For me and for many other people, having that connection is enough, especially in the wake of such a tragedy.\nBut as with any disaster that strikes in some "far-off land," the media clamors to hook viewers by attempting to "bring the story home" -- revealing the event's connection to a person or place viewers can relate to. A logical strategy, I suppose.\nBut it seems to me that "bringing the story home" often requires the shortening of in-depth stories about the local victims in exchange for harrowing stories of wealthy vacationers.\nIn an op-ed piece for The Wall Street Journal, writer Suketu Mehta describes news coverage as a "pornography of images of disaster in the Third World: famine, floods, war, earthquakes."\nHe continued saying, "The victims lose their individuality, their humanity, and it becomes easier to distance ourselves from people whose lives we have no idea about. In a perverse way, it might be a blessing that some of the casualties of the tidal wave were tourists from rich countries."\nIf only to gain the world's attention, he alludes.\nMy mom and I discussed this theory -- the idea that helping tsunami victims is "in" for the moment, and that the tragic involvement of the rich has much to do with media's enthusiastic coverage of disaster relief progress. She thought I should quell the cynicism and "focus on the human connection."\nAnd she could very well be right.\nThere's no doubt in my mind that America cares. But my question is this: will the outpouring of sympathy run dry when the last of the wealthy have been accounted for -- or when the media finds its next big disaster story?