At 9 pm on Sunday, Nov. 12, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck near the border of Iraq and Iran. Incredibly destructive, the shock waves were said to have been felt as far away as Turkey and Pakistan. Over 500 people were killed and thousands more were injured just in Iran, alongside around 70,000 people displaced in need of a shelter. In Iraq, 10 were killed and at least 430 were injured in the harrowing natural disaster.

Even with the unfathomable loss of life, very few students interviewed knew about the earthquake or about many issues having to do with the Middle East. Sophomore Alice Burns speaks about the need for media reporting on major conflicts and disasters just in the Middle East but also those concerning countries around the world.

“[The relationship between the US and the middle east is] not very good and they don’t really think to report about it. And obviously there is a lack [of media reporting] if I didn’t hear about it and I think it’s important that they should report on major earthquakes that happen around the world,” said Burns.

This is another instance in the continuing trend of Western media paying little to no attention to seriously reporting events happening in the Middle East. Social Justice history and Women’s Studies teacher, Todd Siders, speaks out about lack of general knowledge concerning news and happenings relating to non-Americans and people of color.

“Given that most Americans have no idea what or where Iran is, I can’t really fault the profit-driven media system for not covering an event that relates to people of color far away in another world. If there any perceptions at all, they are going to be shaped by the media. And our media doesn’t particularly portray people in the world unless it’s relevant to Americans as important. We tend to not pay attention to natural disasters that don’t impact Americans, specifically white Americans. So there is generally going to be a lack of knowledge,” said Siders.    

The lack of serious news coverage also reflects a lack of emergency services. Civilians in both Iraq and Iran continue to suffer weeks after the actual earthquake from the failings of the government to provide aid. Thousands are injured or homeless and pleading for help from lack of sufficient emergency services. Many are angry and feel that the government is failing in its duty to provide for them for in their time of need. According to witnesses, entire villages have been destroyed, taking the lives of many of their inhabitants with them.