Covering the North Korean Nuclear

The news that North Korea had finally tested a nuclear weapon on Monday created a frenzied panic in much of the Western world. What is most interesting, however, is how few news organizations pointed to the unmistakable hypocrisy by many political leaders around the world. While these leaders condemned the North Koreans for developing this weapon, they certainly did not mention the fact that they already owned such a devastating bomb, and that they had no intention of getting rid of it.

The idea that North Korea could develop a nuclear bomb is, without a doubt, extremely frightening. To have this type of weapon in the hands of a seemingly crazy dictator is scary for a number of different reasons. They could use the bomb on a regional enemy, sell it to Islamic or other terrorists, or just refuse to take part in any sort of international peace initiative because they now feel that they have an advantage. These possibilities, and others, have been covered by the Globe and Mail, CNN and Fox News.

Even so, it seems problematic to claim that these possibilities do not exist in the case of any of the other members of the so-called “Nuclear Club.” Five states have nuclear weapons and are recognized as nuclear states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Two other countries, Pakistan and India, have since developed their own weapons, and is has long been assumed that Israel also has its’ own nuclear bomb. The question, then, is why are our news outlets not concerned about the possibility that any of the above-mentioned countries will act in the same manner that we are assuming North Korea will? Granted, many of these countries are democracies, but this does not guarantee security. Pakistan, for example, is a part of the U.S. war on terror, and yet their commitment to peace with their neighbours still seems a bit suspect. Perhaps Israel could be forced into using their weapon if conditions in the Middle East were to worsen.

The likelihood of the above scenario is remote, and yet it seems foolish to imagine that it is only North Korea that the world must worry about. The role of the mainstream media is to ask questions and to think critically, and the North Korea nuclear test this past week shows just how difficult this is for the mainstream media.

Print Article

Email Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds