Randahl Fink

What is it with US media and geography?

CBS News has had this graphic about NATO countries on their site for over two months, and from it we can learn
— Corsica is not in France (it is)
— Sicily is not in Italy (it is)
— Zealand, Funen, northern Jutland are not in Denmark (they are)
— Greenland is not in NATO (it is)
— The Faroe Islands are not in NATO (they are)
— Gotland and Öland are not Swedish islands (they are)
— Saaremaa does not belong to Estonia (it does)

Etc.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nato-countries-maps-list-membership-requirements/

See map of which countries are NATO members — and learn how countries can join

NATO currently has 31 members. The newest edition, Finland, was approved earlier this year. Sweden's bid to join is being discussed at the NATO summit in Lithuania.

CBS News
Sep 26, 2023 at 12:24amWeb
Show threadOran MagalSep 26, 2023
@randahl They can pinpoint some obscure county in Wisconsin, but any non-US geography is “here there be dragons!”.
Show threadtootbruteSep 26, 2023
@OranMagal @randahl yeah and are surprised when non americans have no idea where ohio or michigan or montana or even more obscure places are. Americans are strange.
Show threadRoland SiegloffSep 26, 2023
@tootbrute @OranMagal @randahl European media won't exclude Ohio, Michigan or Montana from NATO, I guess.
Show threadFrank InserraSep 26, 2023
@randahl 🤣
Show threadEugene Albulescu 🇳🇿🇪🇺Sep 26, 2023
@randahl Also republic of Moldova is not labeled. Seems like they think it's part of Ukraine?
Show threadEd WebbSep 26, 2023
@randahl I'm sure NATO won't miss its bases in Sicily and Crete. Souda Bay can't be that significant, right? It's not like anything happens in the East Mediterranean.
Show threadDoc Edward Morbius ⭕​Sep 26, 2023
@randahl It is lovely to see Ireland reunited, however.
Show threadRoss ChurchleySep 26, 2023
@randahl @StephenRees The map also excludes the Alaskan Panhandle, but I can’t tell whether that’s because CBS misunderstood the status of Alaska under the NATO treaty or if they just didn’t want to bother colouring in islands.
Show threadGuybrush ThreepwoodSep 26, 2023
@randahl this is 100% an error in paint filling, No Greek Islands are filled in, Turkish Thrace isn't, Alaska, and the Canadian Arctic, Basically only the largest physical part of any country is colored in
Show threadDavid CrispinSep 26, 2023
@[email protected] the Americans are known to be terrible at geography. Some don't even know Canada is to the north of them..it's sad really
Show threadJaakko NissiSep 26, 2023
@randahl Hanlon's razor. They have either a lazy ass journalist/editor/whatever, or even worse: AI, that can't be arsed to figure out the tool used for colouring the maps. The tool probably works in a way that you need to select mainland and major islands separately.
Show threadC.S.StrowbridgeSep 26, 2023
@randahl
The YouTube channel EmperorTigerstar would love / hate this map.
Show threadkluk48Sep 26, 2023
@randahl 
Show threadLaura Sykes #GreeneraliaSep 26, 2023

@randahl
Just to add that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, politically, not part of the Irish Republic  
Oh, and the Orkneys are part of Scotland....

What an extraordinary map!

Show threadxs4me2Sep 26, 2023

@randahl

OMG...

Show threadDaniel WengelinSep 26, 2023

@randahl

For a major news outlet, this is astonishingly crappy.

Show threadOpenDNA⚙️Sep 26, 2023

@randahl oh, I like that! "Istanbul is not in Turkey" 😆

Also: "Cyprus is not in Turkey OR Greece"

Show threadReinder Dijkhuis Does ArtSep 26, 2023

@randahl They might simply be getting their info from the CIA factbook?

I recall one time about 20 years ago when some dude in IRC told me, based on the CIA factbook, that the Netherlands didn't have an army. So I think the problem may reach beyond the media.

Show threadjoëlSep 26, 2023
@reinderdijkhuis @randahl not an expert, but this map from the factbook looks a lot better than the infographic?
Show threadReinder Dijkhuis Does ArtSep 26, 2023
@jollysea @randahl Yeah, it does. TBH I was just being snarky.
Show threadkravietz 🦇Sep 26, 2023

@randahl

My bet is on low-paid or unpaid assistant or intern staff, who is routinely delegated for such boring tasks that are perceived as low-priority because “nobody will look into details anyway”. If respective embassies sent clarification notes to CBS, I’m sure they would pay more attention.

Show threadSimon dē Gulielmō 🐧Sep 26, 2023
@randahl They don't seem to acknowledge Vancouver Island is part of Canada or that Alaska is a U.S. state, either.
Show threadNeil Macpherson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Sep 26, 2023
@randahl
And Northern Ireland is not in the UK. Curious.
Show threadSteven HeywoodSep 26, 2023
@randahl
They kept Byzantium's secession from NATO very quiet.
Show threadStephen DrennanSep 26, 2023
@randahl
And Northern Ireland is not in the UK (it is)
Show threadJakob NielsenSep 26, 2023
@randahl og Thy og Vendsysel har løsrevet sig fra Danmark. Det havde man et eller andet sted set komme.
Show threadPCSep 27, 2023

@randahl

Y’all should see the FOX news map. It’s covered swastikas and freedom gun markers so their audience can understand who to hate the most.