Out of NZ...
Before we left NZ, I ended up talking to a couple of people from overseas and was quite surprised at their perspective of NZ. In particular, they both commented on how NZ seemed to be quite a dangerous place. This got me thinking and I have been reflecting on it since we have been in Germany and getting all our news via internet sources (big ups to TV 3 who stream their news bulletins and RadioNZ who have a gazillion podcasts as well as streaming). I'd have to say that if you just listened to the news, you'd have to conclude that NZ is a pretty grim place. I'll leave the drownings aside- an awful tragedy by any standards and completely a-typical, but here's a list of the top stories currently on Stuff:
Waimakariri body taken to morgue
Kahui had wanted to hand himself in
Police arrest tourist attack suspects
Thousands of poppies stolen from RSA
F&P shares jump 15pc on job cuts -Three factory closures see 1070 jobs go
I'd have to say that we have really noticed the apparent safety here in Germany. Perhaps we are somewhat immune to what is happening because we can't read the newspaper but people barely lock their bikes, people seem to wander all over the place night and day (admittedly we're in studentville- maybe it has a different vibe....) and several times we have been astonished at what the shops leave outside over night... 'Wouldn't happen in NZ', we say to ourselves.
So here's my question (and I'd love to hear your thoughts, hint, hint): Is NZ really a dangerous, depressing and violent kinda place or is there something skew in our media?
3 comments:
Hi Rochelle,
What I've found is that the only news we hear is bad news! It's very depressing at times, so often I make the choice not to read newspapers, watch the TV news etc. But at least NZ, Oz and the UK actually report the news. ie, the number of people that have been killed in places like Zimbabwe that hasn't been made public, the Genocide in Rwanda in 1994....I could go on. It all sucks.
Hi Jin,
Yes, I think you are right about the bad news thing- although, reading the German news sites (and I can only do that in English, so maybe it's not a true reflection), there is a lot more about what is happening in the world, not just disaster and mayhem.
Are we going to see you in London? Has Marty made a plan?
Yeah, it's been a depressing news week. But last week the biggest news was something about the Electoral Finance Act or something, so I guess you need to take the bad with the good.
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