Comments on: The fall of the Wall–and the media’s role http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2009/11/09/the-fall-of-the-wall-and-the-medias-role/ Dean Wright on Ethics, Innovation and Values Mon, 09 Apr 2012 01:34:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Ismael1 http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2009/11/09/the-fall-of-the-wall-and-the-medias-role/comment-page-1/#comment-2236 Ismael1 Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:31:15 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/?p=348#comment-2236 I lived in Germany at this time and one thing I remember is the part of the Wall in front of the Brandenburg<a href="http://drdreheadphones.net">-</a>Gate. It was hard to get anywhere near it because of the crowds and the crowds of reporters with their cameras. There were so many flashes, it felt like fireworks going off. But watching the crowds standing and dancing on top of the wall sent chills up and down my spine. The air around the wall was always one of quiet, sort of like being in a library or a church. Now with the parties going on in front of the wall and on top of the wall, the atmosphere was more like a huge outdoor concert. No more reverence, it was time to party. It is ironic that the wall came down on November 9. The fall of the Berlin Wall is not the only historic event that happened on November 9. Germany was defeated in World War I on Novermber 9, 1919; November 9, 1938 is known as Kristallnacht. This is the night when Nazis throughout Germany destroyed Jewish businesses and synagogues. The amount of broken glass is what gave the name to this night. It was an eerie suggestion that this night go down in history as a German holiday to commemorate the Fall of the Wall and of communism in East Germany. The Germans came to their senses and chose another date to mark the reunification of Germany But no newspaper, except for the essay by Elie Wiesel in the New York Times, mentioned this fact. Was it ignorance? I don’t know but, I find is strange that all the newspapers quoted JFK’s famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech over and over again; they mentioned the DM 100.00 and the shopping sprees at least once a day. But no one felt the necessity to draw the historical comparisons. I find that to be poor journalism. We rely on television to show us the moods of the events and moments that shape our lives but, it is the written media’s responsibility to bring these events into their historical contexts. Both newspapers and the magazine failed to do just that. The book also failed to draw the comparisons. All in all, I feel the media could have done a better job of covering this historic event. Although, I’m not sure anyone who had not lived in Berlin before the wall came down and then actually lived in the city to see it fall, could actually sum up the true feelings of the people at the time. It was one of the moments where you had to be there to feel the true significance of the event. I truly feel blessed to have lived through that moment with all the other citizens of Berlin, both East and West. It is a moment I will never forget. I lived in Germany at this time and one thing I remember is the part of the Wall in front of the Brandenburg-Gate. It was hard to get anywhere near it because of the crowds and the crowds of reporters with their cameras. There were so many flashes, it felt like fireworks going off. But watching the crowds standing and dancing on top of the wall sent chills up and down my spine. The air around the wall was always one of quiet, sort of like being in a library or a church. Now with the parties going on in front of the wall and on top of the wall, the atmosphere was more like a huge outdoor concert. No more reverence, it was time to party.

It is ironic that the wall came down on November 9. The fall of the Berlin Wall is not the only historic event that happened on November 9. Germany was defeated in World War I on Novermber 9, 1919; November 9, 1938 is known as Kristallnacht. This is the night when Nazis throughout Germany destroyed Jewish businesses and synagogues. The amount of broken glass is what gave the name to this night. It was an eerie suggestion that this night go down in history as a German holiday to commemorate the Fall of the Wall and of communism in East Germany. The Germans came to their senses and chose another date to mark the reunification of Germany But no newspaper, except for the essay by Elie Wiesel in the New York Times, mentioned this fact. Was it ignorance? I don’t know but, I find is strange that all the newspapers quoted JFK’s famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech over and over again; they mentioned the DM 100.00 and the shopping sprees at least once a day. But no one felt the necessity to draw the historical comparisons. I find that to be poor journalism. We rely on television to show us the moods of the events and moments that shape our lives but, it is the written media’s responsibility to bring these events into their historical contexts. Both newspapers and the magazine failed to do just that. The book also failed to draw the comparisons.

All in all, I feel the media could have done a better job of covering this historic event. Although, I’m not sure anyone who had not lived in Berlin before the wall came down and then actually lived in the city to see it fall, could actually sum up the true feelings of the people at the time. It was one of the moments where you had to be there to feel the true significance of the event. I truly feel blessed to have lived through that moment with all the other citizens of Berlin, both East and West. It is a moment I will never forget.

]]> By: mattharper http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2009/11/09/the-fall-of-the-wall-and-the-medias-role/comment-page-1/#comment-1521 mattharper Wed, 11 May 2011 16:12:22 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/?p=348#comment-1521 I came across your comment and I really couldn't agree more. The mental walls are a lot harder to pull<a href="http://www.bigstreetart.com">-</a>down and the years of mental anguish, caused by it will take along time to heal! I came across your comment and I really couldn’t agree more.
The mental walls are a lot harder to pull-down and the years of mental anguish, caused by it will take along time to heal!

]]> By: abbated http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2009/11/09/the-fall-of-the-wall-and-the-medias-role/comment-page-1/#comment-1234 abbated Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:03:23 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/?p=348#comment-1234 I totally agree with your comment Nizar. There are just too many short sided people in this world for these other walls to fall. It is much easier to tear down a brick wall than a mental wall. It's really a shame. [http://babylontranslator.org Babylon Translator] http://www.babylontranslator.org I totally agree with your comment Nizar. There are just too many short sided people in this world for these other walls to fall. It is much easier to tear down a brick wall than a mental wall. It’s really a shame.

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]]> By: Prem Nizar Hameed http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2009/11/09/the-fall-of-the-wall-and-the-medias-role/comment-page-1/#comment-1172 Prem Nizar Hameed Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:07:42 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/?p=348#comment-1172 The fall of the Berlin wall was symbolic for some other invisible walls to cave in: The wall between the rich and the poor; the walls among races; the walls among religions; the wall between genders. We have to go a long way to demolish these walls. The concrete or iron walls could collapse easily. But the mental walls are so strong that no bulldozer can demolish. A world without such invisible walls is my dream. If God is there, please fulfill my dream. Come on dears, let us go for that. The fall of the Berlin wall was symbolic for some other invisible walls to cave in: The wall between the rich and the poor; the walls among races; the walls among religions; the wall between genders. We have to go a long way to demolish these walls. The concrete or iron walls could collapse easily. But the mental walls are so strong that no bulldozer can demolish. A world without such invisible walls is my dream. If God is there, please fulfill my dream. Come on dears, let us go for that.

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