People Click on Stories About Paris But Not Beirut? It’s More Than Geography and Apathy.

People Click on Stories About Paris But Not Beirut? It’s More Than Geography and Apathy.

I’m seeing some push-back from journalists over criticism that Paris was covered more than Beirut. Places like Beirut are covered, journalists respond, but people just aren’t as interested in those stories (it’s about “proximity”).

Yes, if we count clicks and views, I’m sure Paris gets more interest. But much of the push-back ignores the totality of international coverage — in other words, coverage when violence strikes and when it doesn’t strike — and a consideration of why people aren’t interested.