Wednesday 13 October 2010

Global cheers

Reality TV will never top the drama of today's live, hourly rescues of 33 trapped Chilean miners.

As we type this, it is three miners rescued, 30 to go. A live CNN feed via several Chilean government television cameras is providing the uninterrupted emotions of families, rescuers, fellow miners, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera and all others involved in the 69-day drama.

The CNN feed from Camp Hope, complete with a rescue countdown, says "no translation," but the tears of joy, smiles, cheers and hugs say it all. (The BBC has an interpreter, with interruptions for replays and clips.)

The world is watching, as are more than 2,000 journalists at the mine, so Newseum's front pages should be inundated with dramatic fronts today.

In the good old days, the Toronto Sun would have waited for the first rescue for its front, but early deadlines being what they are these days, we're not sure if they will.

The rescues are immediate, mesmerising television and Internet fare, but, as always, the words of scribes will provide the depth of the survival stories.

It should be a good day for print everywhere today.

Ace in the Hole, with a more positive ending.


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