With just two days left in 2023, it’s time to take a look back at some of the most-searched stories in 2023, from the Chinese balloon scare to the Titan submersible disaster, not to mention the Burning Man debacle and the East Palestine train derailment.
Summary
With just two days left in 2023, it’s time to take a look back at some of the most-searched stories in 2023, from the Chinese balloon scare to the Titan submersible disaster, not to mention the Burning Man debacle and the East Palestine train derailment.
The Chinese Spy Balloon Incident & the UFO Shootdowns
An unexpected object floated into the American national consciousness in January when a local newspaper in Montana broke the news that a Chinese spy balloon was flying high above the United States. After an outcry, the Biden administration shot down the surveillance aerial vehicle off the coast of South Carolina, and heightened surveillance let to the shootdowns of three additional aerial objects in the skies above North America.
Year of the Train Derailment
The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio earned widespread coverage in February. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s flat-footed response to the derailment became a national news story and will be a blot on his resume should he seek the presidency again in 2028. Widespread coverage of the East Palestine disaster contributed to heightened awareness of train derailments and transportation incidents in media coverage throughout 2023.
Maui Wildfires
A catastrophic wildfire destroyed the town of Lahaina, Hawaii in August, and more than 100 Americans were killed in the blaze. While the death toll is much lower than what was initially feared, the lack of warning and slow government response earned widespread criticism.
The Wreck of the Titan
The disappearance of the Titan, a luxury tourist submersible, during an expedition to view the shipwrecked Titanic, earned wall-to-wall coverage in June. Five people were killed in the disaster, and debris from the imploded submersible was discovered several days later.
CNN’s Decline Somehow Gets Worse
The biggest media story of the year aside from the defenestration of Tucker Carlson was the implosion of CNN CEO Chris Licht. The executive brought in to save the network after Jeff Zucker’s ouser in 2022 was himself fired after barely a year on the job after a series of poor decisions culminating in a devastating magazine profile that proved fatal to his career.
The Banking Crisis
The 2023 banking crisis saw the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and two other midsized banks. Biden administration balance sheet guarantees, UBS’s purchase of Credit Suisse, and the swift seizure of the failing First Republic Bank in May helped calm the crisis.
“Barbenheimer,” “Sound of Freedom,” and the Decline of Sequels
The “Barbenheimer,” phenomenon and the surprising success of “Sound of Freedom” delivered the strongest opening weekend at the box office since before the pandemic, made even more notable as neither movie was a sequel or part of a franchise. This year saw many sequels from beloved franchises like the DC Universe, Marvel, Indiana Jones, and The Fast and the Furious dramatically underperform expectations.
The Murdaugh Murders
The downfall of South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was one of the most widely covered true crime stories of 2023. The disgraced attorney was convicted in March of the murders of his wife and son and sentenced to life in prison in a case rife with drugs, scandal, and tragedy that captivated the country.
The Burning Man Debacle
The multiday Burning Man arts festival in the Nevada desert ended in disaster this year, after heavy rain disrupted the festival with extremely muddy conditions and left revelers stranded. The ensuing debacle left 72,000 people stuck for days, depending on “poop buckets” to make it through.
Cancel Culture Is Alive and Well
In February, the estate of children’s author Roald Dahl decided to retroactively censor his works by making hundreds of changes relating to “gender, race, and physical appearance. ”The “Dilbert” comic strip was dropped by hundreds of newspapers after creator Scott Adams made controversial racially charged comments on a radio show.
The Senate Porn Scandal
Capitol Hill was rocked by a raunchy sex scandal just days before Christmas. Aidan Maese-Czeropski, a staffer for senior Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, was fired after he filmed amateur pornography in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room.
Speaking of the decline in standards in America’s governmental institutions – remember when cocaine was found at the White House?
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© Dominic Moore, 2023
