*Although this entry may not be specifically about architecture’s direct relationship with the news – given that architecture is a broad term that can be applied to anywhere, I’d like to examine the relationship between media and technology. In the past couple of months, architecture has somewhat shaped the course of news coverage from what I have been exposed to. This can be opened for further conversations, however this is what I would like to focus on for today. - K
I spent my Friday afternoon turning off power points around my house while keeping my eyes on the hands of every clock slowly move its way to two. It was the Global Climate Strike that day and my social media has been slowly filled with posts of ‘Not Business as Usual’, ‘Architects Declare’ and snapshots of other global climate protests from different cities and nations. Through the small window of my palm, I watched the peaceful protest unfold slowly, with many carrying their pride and love for the planet.
It was an exciting turnout.
But my heart was weighing with guilt for my inability to attend.
One issue on top of another… I can’t see where I want to go anymore…
Comedian Anna Akana’s video ‘You can’t care about everything’ was also ironically released that day, explaining on the issue of compassion fatigue. The timing couldn’t be more perfect when I stumbled across the video in which she explained the overwhelming feeling of the constant broadcasting of crisis and issues happening at every nation. There was a sense of relief when she consolidated the issues and that it is okay to have your beliefs – so long as we understand and separate ourselves what we want to put value on and work towards it, that’s okay also.
With such advancement of technology, the level of speed and communication today can work itself to be beneficial or detrimental to viewers’ perception and sense of obligation to care. Earlier this year, we have already witnessed the burning of Notre Dame, which in turn has unfortunately masked over Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday Bombings; Amazon Rainforest fires that have been burning for several months now, only to be reported in August yet died down in two-weeks – it really brings the question to how much energy we should focus otherwise apply major concern to.
The seven o’clock news have always been fed into dinner times at a TV running in the background – by instinct dad would know when to press number two on our remote for the most reliable source of information for local otherwise worldwide news. A few years after immigrating to Australia, to make up for the additional news that did not make it to television mum subscribed to newspapers, giving us a slightly more relaxed way of being informed of the current affairs happening other side of the world, and in turn snippets of these moments would slowly make it’s way into my scrapbook of what I considered to be the most memorable moments etched into my life while growing up in Australia.
Despite growing increasingly lazy to flipping through tabloid sized papers (except maybe times when I’m in a café and newspapers happen be lying around) – I still attempt to immerse myself in the current affairs. From bookmarking the news as the first set of pages I see whenever I open my online browser otherwise being bombarded with the ongoing affairs from my emails. It’s a wonderful feeling to have technology and advanced network to keep us informed – albeit I am starting to feel the fatigue on where I should place my concerns.
“In a few months, nobody will talk about it. They’re too occupied in their own lives.” – J. Lim
Looking back on the fatal Bourke Street incident that has traumatised many of my friends, my friend’s comment on our brief focus on these pressing matters somewhat reflects our nature and the architecture of our minds. Philosophically, we have every right to be concerned with all of these news – however, we can only take so much when we are reported with many tragedies each day and be saved by happier news that would lessen our concerns.
When the Amazon Rainforest burned, a lot of graphics compared the news coverage of the Notre Dame fire to the Amazon Rainforest Fire…
Going back to observing the three major architecture issues (Notre Dame, Amazon Rainforest, Global Climate Strike) – sometimes I’m sitting back and wondering whether the length of these previewed issues represents our timeline of grief placed onto these incidents. Notre Dame’s fire in particular has somehow always gnawed at my annoyance, definitely it is a beautiful relic in which we may never recover those skills that has been placed into the design – yet I couldn’t grasp the amount of attention poured into saving the architecture when the lives taken by the Sri Lanka incident was announced in passing. On the other hand, people’s attention on the Amazon Rainforest was saturated at in the first weeks, yet slowly dwindled as the fire kept burning. Understandably, the comparison of these two news shouldn’t be made, having said, I can’t help but wonder at where our priorities truly lie.
It’s been burning for months now…
“You sometimes need to allow people grieve certain matters. It may be different to what you feel but to understand, that is how they grieve” - Mum’s response to my frustration with the news
Perhaps it is because of the issues that I am focusing on does not introduce me to the issues that I have been discussing hence resulting in perhaps my understanding of the amount of coverage happening in-between various media. Yet it still begs the question of those who dictates what kind of news to be broadcasted makes me question about their priorities and main concerns – after all, even those who selects the news I’m sure are constantly being questioned by the public on why certain news are covered, censored or hidden.
Since that day, competitions, donations have been made known by many…
“Pick three issues” - Anna Akana, ‘You can’t care about everything”, 2019
“Pick three issues”, Akana’s words became my mantra on that Friday. While I was scrolling through pages of the march and listening to the coverage before dinner, I found myself already thinking about the other methods contributing to the march – continue my research in environmental protection, opening discussion with my friends on what we want for the future of our planet, it doesn’t have to be simmered down to just a protest, we’re opening doors for greater outreach. Currently, I know that my top three focus still remains on the education realm, garnering respect for our industry and ensuring that we are constantly connecting the architecture community with other groups. Perhaps these priorities will shift later, and they will always be either somewhat different or completely opposing to another.
Maybe my algorithm on social media will slowly shift in time also, slowly guiding me to other issues that I didn’t realise need addressing.
Which do you prefer (Mr. Jung), news people want to watch or news they must watch?”
“Both are important… I’d say news they want to watch”
“Right, Mr. Jung, I almost forgot… I have a few messages to play… I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”
“Let’s hear the good news first?”
“Someone … gave me concert tickets for you… all the top K-pop stars will be there.”
“Awesome! Everything is working out for me! What’s the bad news?”
“The results of your medical check-up are out and… you’ve got pancreatic cancer?”
“I- I what? … You should have told me as soon as you found out!”
“Why? Pancreatic Cancer wasn’t the news you wanted to find out, isn’t the concert tickets you want to know about? So clearly it comes first.”
“Ha-meyong, did you just play me?”
“I’m sorry for toying with you, but I was curious, between news you want to know and news you must know, which should come first.”- Pinnochio (Korean Drama) Episode 16, SBS, 2014, Subtitles via Netflix by Mingyun Kim, http://bit.ly/2mt5wQH, accessed 22 September, 2019
References:
Park Hye-ryun, Pinocchio, 2014. “Episode 16: Emperor’s New Clothes”. Broadcasted on 7 January, 2015 on SBS Korea. The selected scene referenced can be found here: SBS World “[EN] 피노키오, Pinocchio, EP16 (2/4)”, https://youtu.be/9gg4CNhs634?t=649, published 1 March, 2019, accessed 22 September, 2019
Anna Akana, 20 September, 2019 “You can’t care about everything”, Video, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id7muYA1X7M
Notre Dame Fire case on 15 April 2019, more information can be found here
Sri Lanka Easter Sunday Attack 21 April 2019, more information can be found here
Amazon Rainforest Fire – for a detailed report on the incident, please see here
Global Climate Strike – more information can be found here
Bourke Street Mall Attack on 20 January 2017, more information can be found here
If you are interested and are invested in these issues, there are multiple ways to help otherwise donate. Some of these links are:
For Amazon Rainforest fires:
For Notre Dame:
I am aware that there are many more organisation that helps multiple issues through research. These are just some of the ones I have come across in passing.