Media Attempts to Link Titanic Sub Disaster with Illegal Immigration

The media has faced criticism for their coverage of the recent tragedy involving the disappearance of the OceanGate Titan submersible. With five people on board, the sub was on a voyage to the wreckage of the RMS Titanic when controllers lost contact on Sunday. Oxygen supplies were set to run out on Thursday, leaving little hope for the passengers’ survival. While the tragedy is unfolding, The Associated Press has drawn criticism for attempting to tie the disaster to illegal immigration. The wire service posted a tweet stating that the search for the sub has “contrasts sharply with another recent tragedy in which the victims were migrants motivated by desperation.” The article then went on to discuss the Mediterranean migrant crisis, contrasting the passengers aboard the OceanGate Titan with the illegal migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
The media has been accused of using the tragedy as a platform to push a chosen agenda, disregarding the stark differences between the two events. The article has been criticised for sweeping under the rug the organised criminal networks that facilitate illegal migration, and for failing to acknowledge that those on board the sub were operating within the constraints of the law. Establishment media and left-leaning politicians are being accused of encouraging illegal migration by attaching no moral onus to the individuals risking their own lives and of their families by making the journeys. Furthermore, they are accused of disregarding the network of traffickers that enable this risky form of migration.
The article went further as to bring in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, bringing in quotes from Palestinian individuals and their perspective on the event. Although the article was discussing the tragedy involving the sub, the AP used the event as a platform to discuss wider global issues. Despite the criticism from readers, the AP has not yet commented on the matter.