Finally an example of the power of the news media as an active citizen and agitator, doing its job and in the process saving the lives of Chile's most vulnerable citizen. Trapped for 2 months, these poor of the poor, working in unsafe hazardous conditions, most likely would have had their fate sealed if it were not for the continuous drum beat of the family and Chile's news media, which have clambered onto the story forcing the government to take ownership of the situation. Now the government, smelling an opportunity to be the “media hero”, has made this a political issue in which savvy politicians can run on in the future. It had been widely reported the safety violations and the lax government enforcement of the mining industry has been pervasive in poor communities in Chile for years. This media spotlight serves to highlight not just these trapped miners, but the conditions and extreme poverty that have driven so many young men to risk their lives for pennies a day. Once the miners are out of the hole and the world has welcomed them, I wonder if the media will keep focused on the broader social issues and hold their government accountable for improving the deplorable mining standards.
When you mentioned this in class yesterday it made me very curious about the history of the news media in Chile. I went and did a little research after class and found out that you were so right. These individuals would have been left for dead but the reporting on the story made it such a big deal that the company was forced to help their workers out! Good job on behalf of the media... finally!
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