My Thoughts

Inspired by all the speculations I researched, I decided to film my own news broadcast of a new theory, which can be viewed here:

(Speculation inspired by that of the real Christine DeLorey, who discusses these points at length here)

Though it is easy to consider the outrageous theories proposed to explain the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 as pure entertainment, I learned some more serious lessons in reading researching this speculation as well.

In the first few days of the search for MH370, I was on spring break with my dad, and we spent our fair share of time watching CNN’s nonstop reports, including those of The Situation Room. So, I saw many of the highly speculative broadcasts that I would later analyze in my research when they originally aired. Strangely enough, my immediate reactions were not quite as dismissive as my reactions when I reconsidered the broadcast transcripts. In the excitement of the moment of ‘breaking news,’ proposed island-landings or cellphone hijackings seem somehow more plausible. Though increased tendency to believe news when it is relayed for the very first time is a new topic entirely (and one that I am sure has also been researched considerably!), this is something I will keep in mind for the future. When viewing news broadcasts, or any other forms of media reports, I now see how important it is to keep sight of the big picture, the one in which outrageous speculations and claims of any kind can be seen for what they are.

Keeping the big picture in mind

Another lesson I can take away from this research process relates back to comedy in times of tragedy. Originally, I hoped to focus my entire research project on comedy and satirical responses to disaster. While this did not prove to be the best choice for the sake of my essay, it still shaped the way I considered the speculative broadcasts I analyzed. In a mindset looking for comedy, I was able to find more humor in the broadcasts I considered than I imagine I would have otherwise. Though my lighthearted stance does not change the significance of the disaster, I have found that this approach can change the dynamic of such a heavy research assignment for the better. This, too, is something I will keep in mind for the future — both inside and outside the classroom.