What makes the current economic/financial crisis garner so much attention?

Recession happen at least one a decade but we have not had a financial crisis since the one triggered by the stock market crash in 1929. Even mild recession like the ones in 2000 and 1992 got a lot of media coverage and what is happening now is worse. Events that actually effect a large number of people is always big news and with 12 million unemployed most people at least know someone who is having trouble finding a job.