Why is This Relegated to the Back Page?

I know that the recent mining explosion in W. Virginia was a tragedy, but why is the U.S. media so unconcerned with the same issue in China, especially because it is happening on a much larger scale? An article in the BBC from December states that over 6,000 deaths have occurred due to mining accidents in the past year. China's mining industry is considered the most dangerous in the world, and yet our 12 dead miners are plastered all over the front page and China is buried in the middle of the paper.

At the very least, the media could have tied these stories together and really done an in-depth survey on mining conditions and causes for accidents. Instead, the media insists on focusing on the "miscommunication," the resolution of which will still not bring these men to life. (By the way, you should hear my rant on reporting in the media. Can you believe the number of papers that didn't check their facts and ran with the story of 12 LIVING miners???!)

What happened to fair and equal reporting? What happened to just giving us the news? I am so tired of the sensationalism and the need to sell newspapers that drives these stories. Instead, I get small tidbits in today's newspaper like, "China is closing 5,290 coal mines in a safety crackdown on the world's deadliest mining industry, the government announced Thursday. The figure is higher than a previously reported estimate of 4,000 mines that would be closed after safety inspections in 2005, the official Xinhua News Agency said." And that's the entire article. I suppose I should be happy because it at least has some news in it, but I can't help wanting more details.