Days after more than 300 people were killed in Somalia after a massive truck bomb went off in the capital city of Mogadishu on Saturday, many are citing a double-standard when it comes to the kind of coverage such attacks receive compared to similar kinds of violence elsewhere in the world.
A news item in Al-Jazeera on Tueasday noted that while the "attack in Somalia came little more than one week after a deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas" there was concern about the "quieter response" online and in media reports about the carnage in Mogadishu:
"We mourn with Somalia. 276 dead. 300 hurt. We confess that our tears are often limited to the West. Forgive us. We long for peace with you," said Eugene Cho.
"You should be as devastated about the sheer loss of life in Somalia, as you were about the senseless killings in Vegas," wrote Stacey Dooley, a British television presenter.
Itayi Viriri, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, who questioned why the Somalia attack did not make a larger impact on social media sites or with high-profile users, such as politicians or celebrities, who often tweet their support and condolences for victims.
Why aren’t we all with Somalia today? @Facebook? @Twitter? #Celebs? Anyone?
— Itayi Viriri (@itayiviriri) October 16, 2017
Though the difference in western news coverage was obvious, there were also sincere and heartfelt messages of support for the people of Somalia from progressive voices:
So much love to brothers and sisters in #Somalia, our hearts are breaking with you x
— The Rules (@TheRulesOrg) October 17, 2017
We hold in the light all those who were affected by the attack in #Somalia. https://t.co/G1rLTh59X4
— FCNL (Quakers) (@FCNL) October 17, 2017
The Eiffel Tower went dark to pay tribute to the victims of the car bombings in Mogadishu, Somalia https://t.co/6CK03yzzzG pic.twitter.com/jog1vUQsy1
— CNN International (@cnni) October 17, 2017
