While novelty is an aspect, it is not the only aspect. Racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and classicism all tie into it. This is why refugees from Ukraine and refugees from Syria experience pretty different treatment even on a governmental level.
The reason why people are talking about the sinking of this refugee dinghy in the Mediterranean is that it was a big enough tragedy that the news covered it. Usually, none of it is even covered by the news. As someone who works in aid focusing on refugees and has contacted news organizations about these things, there is just no interest. It took years of grassroots organizing and collecting evidence to get them talking about pushbacks. And even then it is mainly about the whole shebang instead of individual cases. Talking about the absolute incompetence and malice of the Hellenic Coast Guard is hardly mentioned while NGOs working with refugees in Greece, Balkan and Turkey have been talking about it for years and years.
If things go as they usually go, like with Alan Kurdi, people will talk about it for a couple of months and then it will be forgotten unless someone broughts it up.
As always. Greek officials instead of focusing on fixing their incompetence are focusing on covering it and stopping people talking about it. This is why there is a huge wave of criminalization of refugees, aid workers, and aid organizations but no retraining and proper investigations into misconduct. None of this is surprising. Or new.
Greece boat disaster: Survivors blame Greek coastguard for tragedy (www.bbc.com)
Survivors of the Greece boat disaster say an attempt by the Greek coastguard to tow the boat made it sink.