- Title: War on words launches Guam into media frenzy
- Date: 17th August 2017
- Summary: YIGO, GUAM (AUGUST 17, 2017) (REUTERS) JOURNALISTS ON BUS DURING ORGANIZED MEDIA TOUR IN ANDERSEN AIR BASE VIEW FROM WINDOW OF BUS DRIVING ALONG AIR BASE MEDIA ON TARMAC OF ANDERSEN AIR BASE MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA STANDING NEXT TO B-1 BOMBER JOURNALIST PICKING UP CAMERA AND TRIPOD AND WALKING IT ACROSS TARMAC ADELUP, HAGATNA, GUAM (AUGUST 16, 2017) (REUTERS) JOURNALISTS WALKING INTO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE COMPOUND SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNALIST SETTING UP TRIPOD JOURNALISTS LOOKING AT PHONE SEATED BEFORE NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAS ON TRIPODS GUAM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SITTING DOWN AS NEWS CONFERENCE BEGINS JOURNALIST TESTING EQUIPMENT JOURNALIST INTERVIEWING PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GUAM VISITORS BUREAU, JON NATHAN DENIGHT (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT AND CEO OF GUAM VISITORS BUREAU, JON NATHAN DENIGHT, SAYING: "I think everyone feels very safe. We talked about our missile defenses, but, you know, even besides that capabilities of North Korea. You know, they're in a testing phase of these rockets, and they're testing missiles into the Sea of Japan right now, and they're talking about a plan, a possible plan to test missiles near here, which would definitely, you know, we don't even know if they can do that. I think the media presence is a little bit much, but I understand that with that kind of rhetoric, it could lead to all these kinds of stories, and people wanting to get on top of that." TAMUNING, GUAM (AUGUST 16, 2017) (REUTERS) ANTONIA YAMIN, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT FOR KAN ISRAELI BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SETTING UP TO RECORD A STAND UP SOLO MICROPHONE OF KAN NEWS ORGANIZATION YAMIN SETTING UP SOLO STANDUP YAMIN FILMING STANDUP YAMIN HOLDING MICROPHONE WITH LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTONIA YAMIN, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT FOR KAN ISRAELI BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SAYING: "I think the threat was real, I mean, you can't just deny it. A lot of young people I talked to in Guam told me that they are not afraid because they are not watching the news. So I don't know if the news reports weren't real, or the Guam people weren't stressed because they didn't watch it." YAMIN SETTING UP CAMERA ON TRIPOD INFLATABLE FLOATS IN SEA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTONIA YAMIN, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT FOR KAN ISRAELI BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SAYING: "No, I think in the end, it was legitimate. When you get such a big threat from North Korea. I mean, it was a nuclear threat. We have to keep that in mind. And when we talk with the people here of Guam, a lot of them told us that this time it's true, it wasn't the first time Guam was threatened, and it won't be the last time. But this time it was a bit unique because they were afraid because of the rhetorics that the United States president is using, things might really escalate." TRAFFIC ALONG UPSCALE SHOPPING CORRIDOR IN TAMUNING PEOPLE WALKING DOWN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (English) GUAM RESIDENT JOE TENORIO SAYING: "North Korea's been throwing threats to Guam so many times already. You know, for me, I think it's all talk, so, I think that yes, maybe the media was a little bit overkill, because of the fact that it's happened before, but I also see the media side point of view, you know, wanting to cover this event, with this heavy threat towards Guam, which is, you know, part of America." TOURISTS WADING THROUGH WATER AND TAKING SELFIES WITH SELFIE STICK PEOPLE ON BEACH
- Embargoed: 31st August 2017 07:12
- Keywords: Guam media presence media frenzy North Korea missile war
- Location: ADELUP, TAMUNING, YIGO, GUAM
- City: ADELUP, TAMUNING, YIGO, GUAM
- Country: Guam
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0016UJNY9Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Residents in the tiny U.S. Pacific territory of Guam are not used to cameramen and reporters from international major news networks roaming the streets asking for their opinions on international issues.
Last week, Guam, home to U.S military bases, found itself at the centre of bellicose rhetoric between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened to any act of aggression with "fire and fury" like the world has never seen. Within hours, flights, hotels and car rentals were virtually all booked by journalists heading there.
On Monday (August 14), Tuesday (August 15) and Wednesday (August 16), news conferences at the office of Governor Eddie Calvo were packed with reporters from every corner of the world, eager to hear about the latest developments and measures. But the government assured residents throughout that it was business as usual, and that the threat level remained "normal."
Jon Nathan Denight, who heads Guam's visitors bureau, said the media coverage was "a little bit much."
The media frenzy looks set to continue, with more flights with journalists continuing to land, and U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises beginning next week. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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