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Top 10 news stories of 2011

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woolfe9999

Diamond Member
AP released a "Top 10 News Stories of 2011" list. It is based on a survey of news editors in the US. Looking over the list, 2011 strikes me as quite a momentus year:

1. OSAMA BIN LADEN’S DEATH
2. JAPAN’S TRIPLE DISASTER
3. ARAB SPRING
4. EU FISCAL CRISIS
5. US ECONOMY
6. PENN STATE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL
7. GADHAFI TOPPLED IN LIBYA
8. FISCAL SHOWDOWNS IN CONGRESS
9. OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTS
10. GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOT

I'm curious if anyone thinks any of these do not belong on the list, and/or that something was left off that should have been on it. Also, any non-partisan reflections on the year are welcome.

I personally think the Norway shooting belongs up there, probably in place of Penn State.
 
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I'd probably substitute "KIM JONG-IL DIES" for "PENN STATE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL", at least from a standpoint of momentous news. That's the leader of a nation with whom we are legally in a state of war versus an admittedly big story of a beloved coach being taken down by attempting to cover for a child abuser friend and colleague.
 
If that list is in order, then "JAPAN’S TRIPLE DISASTER" should be #1.

"PENN STATE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL" and "GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOT" are local events, not worthy of a global top 10 list. Iran's drone capture is more significant than these two.

Wikileaks and anon hacks should be on the list. A new era.

Iraq withdrawal should be on the list.
 
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Occupy and fiscal showdowns in Congress were unimportant stories, may as well list "peace protests" and "politician jailed over bribe." instead.
 
monovillage said:
Occupy and fiscal showdowns in Congress were unimportant stories, may as well list "peace protests" and "politician jailed over bribe." instead.
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Matter of opinion about the importance of OWS so I won't debate that point, but I think the fiscal showdown was a pretty big deal.
 
gevorg said:
If that list is in order, then "JAPAN’S TRIPLE DISASTER" should be #1.

"PENN STATE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL" and "GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOT" are local events, not worthy of a global top 10 list. Iran's drone capture is more significant than these two.

Wikileaks and anon hacks should be on the list. A new era.

Iraq withdrawal should be on the list.
Click to expand...

This list is based on a survey of American news editors. So it is from a US perspective. Keep that in mind.
 
woolfe9999 said:
Matter of opinion about the importance of OWS so I won't debate that point, but I think the fiscal showdown was a pretty big deal.
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Good point, I was also thinking that the story about

"Cowardly Democrat Senators flee the State of Wisconsin to nullify the peoples will" should also have been a top headline.
 
There should be two lists: "Top 10 World News Stories" and "Top 10 U.S. News Stories".

Japan has a case for being #1: Earthquake, MASSIVE tsunami, near nuclear meltdown, WTF?!?!
 
RaistlinZ said:
There should be two lists: "Top 10 World News Stories" and "Top 10 U.S. News Stories".

Japan has a case for being #1: Earthquake, MASSIVE tsunami, near nuclear meltdown, WTF?!?!
Click to expand...

Judging from some of the responses here, it seems like we need 2 more lists: one for conservatives and one for liberals.
 
RaistlinZ said:
There should be two lists: "Top 10 World News Stories" and "Top 10 U.S. News Stories".

Japan has a case for being #1: Earthquake, MASSIVE tsunami, near nuclear meltdown, WTF?!?!
Click to expand...

This is what I was thinking, too.

Japan just has to be the biggest international story. And the continually unfolding EU crisis has likely international implications that dwarf anything OBL ever did. OBL was history years before his death.

As those U.S.-centric stories (items 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10), they're all pretty insignificant on the world stage.
 
Long term the only potentially significant stories are the economy, which may be reflecting the decline of the West and diminishing natural resources globally, and the Arab Spring in that it really shows a global political conscience.
 
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