[disjunction]

I get what you are saying but I don't get it. The media is what they is. They will cover what they feel will get the most attention. Off the top of my head, this will be stories that are:

(1) The viewer can imagine what it's like to be one of the victims
(1a) The victim is as similar as possible demographically to the viewer
(2) The story is somewhat unique
(3) The story is easy to cover
(4) The story has some tragic element to it.

Also, the economy is based in a large part on mining operations, in addition to health risks, it really sucks if their working environment is not safe. It just seems like taking advantage. These are guys that DO STUFF for a living.