"where are our priorities", or "whose life is more valuable?"

     As I was driving into work early this morning, I was listening to the radio in the car. As usual I had it on the news station.  One thing caught my attention, and frankly annoyed me more than just a little.
      There were two stories about death. One was, or seemed to be, a little longer than the other and it got me thinking.
      The first death was that of Luke Perry, an actor who was the object of many a teen aged girl's crush back when he starred in tv show from a few decades ago. He went on to act in films, and the story told about some of his roles, and then the glowing tributes from many of his co-stars over the years. The story also mentioned some charitable activity that he had been involved in, but for the most part it seemed like Hollywood paying tribute to one of it's own. 
      The second story concerned the aftermath of a tornado in Alabama this past weekend. There were a couple of eyewitness accounts to the damage, brief testimonies of huddling together, and some prayer. And the fact that there were 23 deaths, including 4 children, and the death toll might rise as they continue to dig out and sift through the rubble.
    Where were the glowing tributes? Where were the tweets to the world about how much these 23 people were loved and will be missed?
      And it seems that when a politician, an athlete, or an entertainer dies, it's big news. Most of the people who read the article, see the story on tv, or hear about it on the radio or a podcast didn't know the person except through the media, so why do we show so much interest in the story?
      Which leads me to my question, who gets to decide whose life is important enough to make the major news outlets, while the death, suffering, and financial costs due to a natural disaster, fire, or major accident get secondary coverage.
     Sometimes I wonder how we as Americans think.  If there is a catastrophe, we're quick to respond to appeals for financial help--which often doesn't all get to the victims anyway, and when it does, it often fills in until the insurance pays off, or a law suit is won and damages are awarded and collected. But sometimes our own neighbors are suffering financially at the time of a major event in their life, and there won't be a big insurance settlement or financial award after a trial. 
    Why does the suffering of one family tear at our heart strings, while that of another leaves us cold?
     Where are our priorities?
     Whose life is more valuable?