The lone puppy, the intact horse, these are reported as though they are news but they are less significant when weighed against the children who may have drowned after their school collapsed on top of them. That kind of news is almost too much to bear, but it is what in fact happened. A puppy is an easier story to tell than the miles of red tape now-homeless survivors will face if they want to find long-term shelter or rebuild.

The truth is sometimes grim. Stories of survival can be difficult and won’t always have a happy ending.

But are we losing our ability to stomach unbrocaded reality?