Obama slams western hypocrisy over refugees, Titan incidents

Former US president Barack Obama has slammed the hypocrisy of Western media concerning refugees and particularly in reference to the recent sinking of a refugee boat off southwestern Greece in which at least 82 people died and hundreds more are feared to have drowned.

The fact that more attention is being paid to a submersible carrying five people that vanished off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada while on a tour of the Titanic's wreckage than the refugee boat sinking off Greece with up to 700 people on board is "rotten," he said on Thursday during an appearance in the Greek capital Athens.

"That's an untenable situation. And, you know, the notion that we can't do something about that is simply not true. We know we can do things for these people," Obama said in reference to the refugee flow to developed countries.

Disparity in media coverage and rescue efforts

Journalists, activists and others have expressed outrage at how the boat incident off Greece was completely overshadowed by the Titan rescue operation as soon as news of its disappearance surfaced.

The trawler carried as many as 750 men, women and children from Syria, Egypt, Palestine and Pakistan.

No survivors or bodies have been found since the day of the accident.

Meanwhile, BBC, CNN, New York Times and many other news websites were live blogging the Titan rescue operation.

Many social media users said the refugee shipwreck in Mediterranean Sea and rescue operation, though delayed, by Greece, did not fetch any minute-by-minute updating by the powerful media outlets.

Others shed light on the rush to rescue Titan passengers while hundreds of refugees reportedly waited for hours in the Mediterranean Sea in hope for swift emergency response before their boat sank.