— by Bright
As we navigate through 2024, the headlines often overshadow the complex realities faced by communities around the world.
Headlines were about wars, elections, and climate disasters which were not only for reading and watching, they also raised discussions around the world and on various platforms. When we talk of the CEO murder and the CCTV footage, we talk of how it brought a range of discourse on social media, especially Twitter. A few others like the CrowdStrike Update, and the HPE Buying Juniper in $14B Blockbuster Deal have been tagged as the 10 Biggest News So Far on the CRN channel. However, some of these headlines had a minimal attraction and some, remained untold.
Gender-based violence and inequality have always been present in society but are frequently underreported, especially in societies that normalize or silence these issues. The struggles faced by women and marginalized genders extend beyond physical violence to include barriers to opportunities, autonomy, death, and safety. A case in point is one Alicia who is a woman from Montana. She had gone missing for some days.
Alicia, a 46-year-old woman from Montana, went missing at the end of November. Her loved ones grew worried when no one could reach her for days. When the police started searching, they found her car abandoned on a highway, with bloodstains and a bullet casing inside. Days later, the investigation led them to a landfill, where they believed Alicia’s body might be hidden. It turned out that William Glenn Olson, a man with a history of domestic violence, had killed her. He admitted to putting her body in a suitcase and dumping it in a dumpster near a school. Her story is just one of the many struggles this year.
Global conflicts, too, often leave fresh wounds than the headlines suggest. The immediate horrors of war and political turmoil are visible, but the long-term effects on displaced families, fractured communities, and the entire region persist in silence. This can be seen in the Russia-Ukraine war which has been ongoing for some years now. It has raised many concerns and caused a lot of distractions among people. Another sighting of global conflict is Sudan. It has led to displacement and movement and has brought deaths in Sudanese society.
Economic growth has always been uneven, but this year shows just how much success for some can make struggles harder for others. Take Nvidia and Intel, two giants in the IT world, as an example. Nvidia has soared, thanks to smart planning and a growing demand for AI technology. Years of investing in cutting-edge tech and building strong partnerships have pushed the company into the same league as Apple and Microsoft. On the other hand, Intel, once a leader in semiconductors, is struggling to find its footing again. It’s working hard to rebuild through new strategies, investments, and a focus on its core strengths, but the competition is tough.
This contrast between the two companies tells a bigger story about the economic challenges of 2024. Success often comes at a cost to others. In many industries, rapid advancements in technology and artificial intelligence have created clear winners and losers. Companies that innovate quickly and build strong networks thrive, while others struggle to keep up and risk being left behind.
It’s not just about big corporations. These changes ripple through society, affecting workers, consumers, and communities. For every headline about record-breaking profits, there are untold stories of people losing jobs, rising inequality, and neighborhoods grappling with the effects of these rapid changes. Nvidia’s success shows what’s possible for some, but also demonstrates the barriers that keep others from achieving similar growth.
This year has also exposed the ongoing tension between growth and fairness. Some places benefit from new investments and innovations, while others are left behind, unable to compete for resources. Supply chain issues from recent years still linger, making these gaps even worse and showing how broken our systems can be. These struggles aren’t just about companies—they affect real people and families who depend on stable and fair economic conditions to make a living.
As we step into 2025, maybe it’s time to pay attention to the voices we didn’t hear this year. And listen to the ones beyond the headlines.