Twitter , a Tragedy and a Reappraisal
As an unapologetic football fanatic , I have used the word “ tragedy ” to describe performances of such stunning ineptitude that have resulted in bruising defeats for my team
I have seen headlines using the word to describe some fashion fiasco perpetrated by someone who is famous , simply for being famous .
Even Brexit is being described as a tragedy in the making , though that may well prove to be more apposite than it at first appears .
All of the above may seem a trifle esoteric , even for this columnist , but bear with me .
I tend to regard Twitter , described by Donald Trump as his “ megaphone to the world ”, with the same degree of scepticism that I apply to unsubstantiated contributions to Wikipedia , the online amalgam of fact , fiction and fable .
It ’ s true that the demonic , early morning ramblings of POTUS 1 are almost comic in content , although potentially tragic in their consequences , but they do serve to further undermine the perceived value of Twitter as a communication vehicle of any real consequence .
Occasionally , however , that dubious value soars when it brings to light matters which conventional media outlets would regard as being of little or no consequence .
Regular readers of STOM may recollect the harrowing image of the body of young boy being carried from the sea after he perished with most of his family in a vain attempt to reach Europe from North Africa .
That gained widespread coverage . It was on our European doorstep , it was associated with the perceived scourge of illegal immigration and it was , in media terms , “ sexy ”.
The image shown below doesn ’ t offer the same degree of macabre titillation to the viewer . It doesn ’ t even have very great shock value .
The story behind it is , however , appalling and deserves wider coverage than it got .
Anil , 27 , was a sewer worker in the capital Delhi , who died when the rope lowering him into a sewer snapped , causing him to fall inside .
1
The acronym for President of The United States
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