Floods News Coverage

[whitbybabe]

Is it just me,or do you agree that the recent floods in the Gloucester area have had loads more TV coverage than up north,Sheffield,Doncaster etc ? My hubby agrees with me.He says it will always be the case that when something happens in the South it will always be covered more than the North.Why is this ? Is it a case of class divide? I live in the East Midlands so I am not being biased,it is just my opinion.

[delboy3]

Yep, it is why these London-based TV news offices have a "Northern correspondent", as if it were a ******' foreign country!!

[Llamatron]

I noticed the same thing.

[bensmum]

I have also noticed this - I have been waiting for someone from up north to start complaining about it as the coverage has been far greater. The BBC had a programme about "The Floods" the other evening and those in Yorkshire were not mentioned.

[Dassie]

But those in Gloucestershire have been more serious and widespread. You didn't have the water cut off in the north and almost a power station, plus 3 people killed.

[scottie2002]

3 died in the floods down south, how many died in the floods in Yorkshire? I remember at least 4. Sorry but too much coverage is given when anything happens down south as opposed to the north. I read on telext today (a southerner) complaining that norherners don't pay as much insurance, (HOUSES ARE CHEAPER) etc as southerners, sorry it's all relative, you have higher wages. but you try buying house in York or Harrogate, they are on a par with down south but we do not get a comparative wage. Sorry, we don't alll wear the flat caps and have whippets(York born and bred and proud of it)

[chitchat]

Well said Scottie - They want their cake and eat it.

[Dassie]

So, apart from the floods in Yorkshire, (that I personally saw plenty of on the TV), what has happened in "the north" that has not been treated as equally as it would have been in the south? Terrorist activity? People getting knifed and murdered? Yobs on the street & ASBOs? NHS cuts? Servicemen being killed in Iraq? Immigration? Tony Blair in Sedgefield ( who wants to see him anyway !! ). In sport Man Utd always is in the news, now M City. Looks pretty equal to me

[BooldawgsMrs]

I totally agree that the coverage was biased but please remember theres more to the South of England than over-paid media journalists in 'that Loondon'. As for the high paid jobs thats true for possibly less than 10%. I pay the high southern prices on low nationwide wages.

TBH a north-south divide is the last thing Great Britain needs right now.

[garner]

Could I just put the record straight by first hand experience of the floods here in south yorkshire...We did go without power..still no drinking water in certain areas..people still not in their own homes and likely to be for a very long time...many shops still out of action....local council still dragging its heels....nobody has had any money from any fund s ect....and yes we feel very neglected up here in the north,forgotten as usual.

[garner]

Sorry forgot to mention four people died as results of the floods.

[kwicky]

I notice the recent coverage states that all water customers are to pay for the extra defences needed to protect houses on the flood plains. Don't you think that the builders should be charged a levy for building on these plains? All right they will have to pass on the amount to these purchasers but would it not be fairer.

[Gromit]

How much TV news coverage a story gets is also dependent on what else is happening here in Britrain and the rest of the planet. With no major happenings to contend for air time, the southern floods have got more time simply because there is more time to fill. I believe SKY and maybe the BBC have a lot more personel in place as well. Whether this is because of its' closer proximity to the News centres or because not a lot else is happening I am not sure, but I do not believe it is a deliberate bias against Northerners.

[whitbybabe]

Glad I got a response.I was honestly asking a non-biased question.

[cheries]

Dassie says; "But those in Gloucestershire have been more serious and widespread. You didn't have the water cut off in the north and almost a power station, plus 3 people killed. "
Clearly, not enough news coverage for poor Southern people to realise how badly us Sheffielders have had it recently. "ALMOST a power station"????? Well poor you, living under the threat of having your electric Aga cut off.
I spent the night in my office due to the fact that the Wicker in Sheffield was under 6 feet of sewerage and flood water. Many of my friends have lost jobs due to their employers going bust, and I have had the whole ground level of my house written off due to filthy water sitting on my lovely carpet. Disease and infection is felling the staff at Meadowhall because they opened too soon (Mr. Dijhani's greed got the better of him I fear) and didn't clean up as well as they should have done. So don't tell me that things in Gloucester have been more severe and widespread. Come to Sheffield and have a look for yourself before you comment on these matters, please.