Classquake: What the global media missed in Nepal earthquake coverage

A man walks past collapsed buildings in Kathmandu, Nepal. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

Andrew Nelson-May 4 2015

As the world comes to terms with Nepal’s earthquake and media outlets start shifting their gaze elsewhere, it is worth analyzing how the global English media covered the disaster – and what they missed. This was a “classquake” as much as a natural disaster, a point missed amid the dramatic descriptions and heart-rending videos.

Initially, attention was focused on Nepal’s recognizable symbols, Kathmandu’s world heritage sites, and victims at the Mt. Everest base camp leaving several commentators on Twitter to criticize the media for its “orientalist gaze” and “disaster porn” while under-reporting where the devastation was more extensive:rural Nepal.

Classquake What the Global Media Missed in Nepal Earthquake Coverage by Thavam Ratna