After scrolling on TikTok, Instagram or anywhere else on the internet, you will likely have come across the massive wildfires tearing through the greater Los Angeles area. Among the many clips, you have probably seen videos about the many celebrities who have had to evacuate or who have lost their homes in this tragedy. While these posts might raise awareness of the overall cause, they often overshadow the stories of those who have suffered the most: working-class families and communities.
Now, when wildfires strike, they don’t impact everyone equally — that’s kind of a given. Celebrities and the wealthy have the ability to hire their own private firefighters, use their extensive insurance plans and rebuild their lives quickly. For so many others, wildfires mean the permanent loss of their homes and potentially their savings, too.
Renters often lose everything, left without insurance or protection for their belongings when situations like this arise. Farmers and low-income families, who depend on their land for money, are most devastated to fires, as they not only lose their homes but their main source of income.
As someone going into the media and journalism, I hate to see how the media’s obsession with celebrities and personalities, especially during tragic times, skews the public’s perception of these disasters. When big news corporations focus only on famous names, they are changing the narrative of the wildfires from the massive crisis it is into a profitable campaign.
Not once have I heard the number of how many low-middle income families have been affected. Not once have I heard about the amount of insurance companies who have canceled their policies before the fires. Not once have I heard about how many homes and businesses have been affected by this. Not once have I heard how our own actions could’ve prevented such a massive disaster.
In the end, the silence on these issues isn’t just annoying or frustrating; it’s harmful. By centering the wildfire narratives around celebrities, we are ignoring the systemic failures that have allowed these tragedies to continue and affect the most vulnerable.
In this world, low-income families do not get to make headlines for their struggles, but their suffering is just as real as what is displayed.
With the lack of coverage on many vital topics, such as the role of insurance companies and the government’s inability to enact proper fire prevention policies, we are stalling the meaningful conversations that need to take place for actual solutions to arise.
Why aren’t we talking about the long-term effects this disaster has, and will continue to have, on climate change? Why aren’t we talking about how underfunded disaster response programs leave many communities stranded? Instead, we are talking about the million-dollar mansions owned by celebrities that are getting affected.
Truly, we need to demand better. The media is such a vital tool and has the power to amplify the voices of those who have been impacted the most, but only if those in the industry choose to do so.
I believe it is time for journalists and news outlets to talk about everything and everyone affected by this disaster, not just the parts that garner the most attention.
Because every time I see wildfire content, I pause and think: Who isn’t being heard? Who’s just lost everything and doesn’t have the resources to rebuild it all? These are the stories that need to be told.
Wildfires aren’t just a Hollywood problem. They are a human problem. And until we view them that way, we will never be able to move forward toward a future where these tragedies are less common and less catastrophic for all.
