The media disasterA University of Maryland study indicated that a third of the Fox News audience thought Iraq had participated in the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center despite military and diplomatic proof that they did not. This belief, along with several other misunderstandings about the Iraq War, developed through the news' careless portrayal of world events (Marcovitz). Sometimes the news doesn't do what it's supposed to do: disseminate information accurately. The media tends to focus less on the truth and more on a good story that can get high ratings. Obsessive coverage of certain topics can lead to neglect of other important issues, including global tragedies – natural disasters and civic crises. When it comes to our response to human adversity, the advent of social media has brought new benefits and new problems. Media coverage of global disasters is important to inform people and encourage help, but the wide variety of media available today must be used responsibly. In February 2005, the Red Cross reported that Asian tsunami victims received $500 per person affected. Meanwhile, relief efforts for Uganda's Eighteen Years' War yielded only fifty cents per person affected. How can people be so generous in the face of one disaster and so cold in the face of another? People are more likely to donate money to natural disasters because they are easier to digest. Humans don't want to believe in the existence of war and evil, so they ignore it. Natural disasters have a cause and effect that is easy to identify and understand. Because it is difficult to maintain popular attention, complex crises with "complex political and social origins" are less likely to receive media attention and municipal support (Wheeler). While natural disasters...... middle of paper ...... Travaux CitéBranche, Adam. “Dangerous Ignorance: Kony Hysteria 2012.” Al Jazeera. Np, March 12, 2012. Internet. April 14, 2014. “Jake Wheeler: What is the impact of media coverage of disasters?” » Blog post. Center for Disaster Philanthropy. Np, October 28, 2013. Web. March 26, 2014.Marcovitz, Hal. Bias in the media. Detroit: Lucent, 2010. 54. Print.MOVE: DC Global Dance Night – Confetti Shower. Digital image. Flickr. Invisible Children, Nov. 27, 2012. Internet. April 21, 2014. Romano, Andrew. “Why the Media Ignored the Nashville Floods.” News week. Np, May 6, 2010.Web. April 8, 2014. Roper, Chris. “Kony 2012: A Closer Look at the Social Media Sensation.” Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Sub-Saharan Africa Media Program, March 22, 2012. Web. April 14, 2014. “Social media helps Haiti relief effort.” » Pew RSS Research Centers Journalism Project. PewResearch, January 21, 2010. Web. March 20. 2014.