I have just returned from a few days in Rotherham and Sheffield visiting family and friends. Thousands of people in South Yorkshire are suffering as a result of the recent floods. Their plight already seems forgotten by the media and has been met with callous indifference and a paltry relief package by central government. Could I urge anybody reading this post, who is able, to contribute to the South Yorkshire Flood Disaster Relief Fund here (http://www.justgiving.com/southyorkshirefloodrelief).

It is a sad indictment of our government that they can find billions of pounds to engage in wars abroad but cannot find adequate funds to help our people in distress here. :mad:

Yes I was thinking today - what happened to the news coverage there. It disappeared behind the news of the London/Glasgow terror attacks and then never re-emerged.

I've seen comparisons between this and the US's response to the New Orleans flooding a couple of years ago.:disgust:

Parts of Hull were laid waste under pseudo-Bangladeshi-style torrents and parts of Bradford and Sheffield were real bad. However, I believe there was something of a minor puddle in Worcestershire which is a bit more of a traditional chocolate-box type home county and was far easier for the London-based news teams to get to. Hence, Yorkshire News was pushed well out of the way of the real headlines. I think I read that 20,000 people in Hull were moved out of their homes or otherwise displaced and were not able to return to them. Now just imagine if it had been Islington or the Isle of Dogs or Kew or somewhere like that. We would have been subjected to blanket coverage for days without end. And I'm not even particularly cynical. It's just a fact. And it's true even if the other 80-90% of the population were enjoying glorious weather.

There was a docu-drama type thing on telly a while back, about severe floods in London, reporting as if it had happened...

...London gets more coverage when it hasn't even happened!!

Yes, It's really sad but unfortunately the media all over the world are very inconsistent and mostly in it for the headlines. It's a shame really but one really can't expect much sincerity from the tv news broadcasts when they focus on the plight of one or another community. But then so are people who consume the news for alot of them. Were living in consumption mode and arent very consistent about how we react about the news, but then it's understandable in a sad way as we are all being bombarded with tons of fresh news everyday from all over the world. It's become like a product we consume and thats a shame.

I do agree with you Howie tho that we need to help the people in our communities. Theres really not much we can do to fix the problems elsewhere until we deal with our own, lest those be interconnected of course. It would be nice for peeps to focus on the news they can do something about instead of consuming all the sensationalist news from all over, forget about it a week later and do nothing. I blame the governments and the media too but lets consider this...where was the outcry from the people all over England to help these people a week later when the news had changed to the fresher distress of the moment. I sincerily hope your outcry is heard Howie. We need to rethink our consumption society, and not just in the U.K. beleive me.

Almost every other item on today's Today programme on Radio 4 was about the current flooding in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire with special reports from 'the picturesque town of Tewkesbury'. I was struck by the thought of how much attention is currently being paid to picturesque parts of middle England in comparison with the recent coverage given to Hull and other places, especially as the current flooding effects fewer people and has done less damage. One story went on about how a man drove his car in water that came up to the car bonnet - shock horror.

I know it's a disaster for all concerned regardless of location but the notion of what counts as news worthiness, and how much coverage to give a story, and who makes this decision (London based editors) is something I find increasingly irritating.

Oh come on peeps., credit where it is due :-
BBC did give a mention, short though it was, to the good work Liverpool/Merseyside Police & Firemen are doing down there.

Phredd:-
New BBC moto :- Nations shall speake peace unto nations and reporters tell the truth "somtimes"

Oh come on peeps., credit where it is due :-
BBC did give a mention, short though it was, to the good work Liverpool/Merseyside Police & Firemen are doing down there.

Phredd:-
New BBC moto :- Nations shall speake peace unto nations and reporters tell the truth "somtimes"

Are you sure it wasn't a case of one of their reporters pretending to speak to someone from Merseyside police or saying they were there when they weren't? :ninja:

Jeremy Paxman has just been fingered for misreporting a survey. Newsnight claimed that the majority of the top 50 companies in Scotland were against independence whereas the reality was that the majority chose not to respond. For futher details see:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23405400-details/Another+apology+from+the+BBC+-+this+time+over+Newsnight/article.do

Are you sure it wasn't a case of one of their reporters pretending to speak to someone from Merseyside police or saying they were there when they weren't? :ninja:

No, both of the firemen had "Merseyside" fire logo on there jumpers.:handclap:

Almost every other item on today's Today programme on Radio 4 was about the current flooding in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire with special reports from 'the picturesque town of Tewkesbury'. I was struck by the thought of how much attention is currently being paid to picturesque parts of middle England in comparison with the recent coverage given to Hull and other places, especially as the current flooding effects fewer people and has done less damage. One story went on about how a man drove his car in water that came up to the car bonnet - shock horror.

I know it's a disaster for all concerned regardless of location but the notion of what counts as news worthiness, and how much coverage to give a story, and who makes this decision (London based editors) is something I find increasingly irritating.

I agree. The current guestimates of the cost of flood damage are approx. £1.5 billion for Yorkshire alone and £2.0 billion for all the rest of the UK put together. The media coverage does seem disproportionate to this.

BBC London News showed helicopter images of someone's back garden where their private tennis court was under about three inches of water. It really brings it home doesn't it ? And to think of all those second homes in the Cotswolds which are currently unreachable, even via pristine Volvo XC-90's. People will be forced to go to their holiday villas after all or even try to find somewhere in Tuscany at short notice. Nightmare...

There are some pics of utterly below-average 'flooding' here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6908531.stm). Only online because it's London.

Company moves to Hull to help flood victims clean up
Jul 25 2007
by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

TEAMS from a West Lancashire building damage recovery firm are leading efforts to help flood victims.

The board of directors and more than 40 staff at Allkare (http://www.allkare.co.uk/), based at Stanley business park, Skelmersdale, have temporarily moved to Hull where they will remain for the immediate future. They were so touched by the plight of the flood victims that they donated a day’s salary to the hardship fund, and some have cancelled holidays to continue work.

The Allkare teams are working round the clock to help clean up, a task expected to take between six months and a year.

Peter Hargreaves, managing director, said: “The level of devastation and the hardships local people have endured are difficult to appreciate unless you have seen it first hand.

“There’s a daily battle of no accommodation, the threat of looting and uncertainty over contaminated properties.

Allkare strips homes of sodden interiors after pumping out excess water, then uses industrial dehumidifiers to dry out.

Ben Tyas, flood technician, said: “There has been a real blitz spirit. We are rewarded with such genuine thanks.”

Source: Liverpool Daily Post (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2007/07/25/company-moves-to-hull-to-help-flood-victims-clean-up-64375-19514634/)