Covering a Disaster at Sea

Posted on the 15 January 2012 by Themarioblog @garciainteract

TAKEAWAY: It was supposed to be the cruise of a lifetime for many of the thousands of passengers on board the Italian cruiseliner that ran aground this weekend.  We show you how Il Secolo XIX ,Bild and other newspapers covered it.  THIS WEEK: Reporting from Hong Kong

Coverage of tragedy at sea in Italy

The pages above are from the Italian daily, Il Secolo XIX, published in Genoa, a coastal city where the ship that ran aground was constructed


As someone who has taken many cruises around the world—-and who still hopes to take a couple—-I was shocked to see the images that have come out after the luxury cruiseliner, Costa Concordia, ran aground and tipped over off Italy’s coast .  Hard to imagine that something like that could happen.

I knew I had to contact Massimo Gentile, design director, Il Secolo XIX of Genoa, Italy, since I had also read that the ship was made in Genoa by Fincantieri, which is a busy port where one also sees many cruiseliners picking up and bringing in passengers to scenic and historic Genoa. The ship in the accident was built in 2006 in Genoa and is the largest ship in the Costa group, a company that was started also in Genoa, but which is now part of the US cruise group, Carnival.

Massimo has sent the images that accompany this blog post.

It is difficult to imagine that the Captain of this cruiseliner had no idea there were rocks in the area where he allegedly took the boat to give the tourists a more scenic view of the coast,“ Massimo wrote me.  “Even the Google map will tell you that there are rocks in that area.“

Massimo has also sent us front pages of three other Italian newspapers covering the tragedy:


Corriere Della Sera


Il Giornale


La Repubblica

Coverage in US newspapers


The New York Times


The Washington Post (used image for top of the page promos)


The Miami Herald


El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida)


Tampa Bay Times

Coverage from Bild in Germany


In addition, Frank Deville has sent us images from the Sunday edition of Bild, the German daily.

For more information: http://www.htrnews.com/article/20120115/MAN0101/201150461/Luxury-cruise-ship-runs-aground-off-Italy-s-coast

From the UK


The Guardian

Front pages we like


Liberation (France)

Here is a page one from the French daily Liberation. Needs no explanation.  Information conveyed in a quick 10 seconds or less.  France’s credit has been downgraded, and we know who the editors of Liberation think is responsible. Hmmmmmmmm.

TheMarioBlog post #926