This morning I found myself listening to the radio news as I usually do – but there was something slightly unusual; I was being urged by the the host to look at the pictures of a bridge collapse in Baltimore. This was at around 7.30 in the UK, where I am, so only about 2 hours after a container ship crashed into the support tower of the 2-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore and destroyed it.
There was something unusual about hearing someone on the radio talking about a visual image with a hint of urgency. Sure, there are often discussions about movies with cast members, but it isn't often the medium risks implying the news is better seen rather than heard. This was different, so I grabbed my phone and, as instructed, watched. Only then – with a horrifying silent clarity – did I understand the scope of the event described.
