Reporting genocide : media, mass violence and human rights / David Patrick.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Patrick, David (Historian), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Genocide--Press coverage.

Genocide.

Press coverage.

Physical Description:

ix, 289 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

London : I.B. Tauris, 2018.

Summary:

The Western world's responses to genocide have been slow, unwieldly and sometimes unfit for purpose. While the UK and US have historically been committed to the ideals of human rights, freedom and equality, their reactions are usually dictated by geopolitical 'noise', pre-conceived ideas of worth and the media attention-spans of individual elected leaders. Utilising a wide-ranging quantitative analysis of media reporting across the globe, Patrick argues that an over-reliance on the Holocaust as the framing device we use to try and come to terms with such horrors can lead to slow responses, misinterpretation and category errors - in both Rwanda and Bosnia, much energy was expended trying to ascertain whether these regions qualified for 'genocide' status. Reporting Genocide demonstrates how such tragedies are reduced to stereotypes in the media, which can over-simplify the situation on the ground and can lead to inadequate responses from governments. Patrick seeks to address how responses to genocides can be improved. This will be essential reading for policy makers and for scholars of genocide and the media. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 The Crime of Crimes? 1

Structure and Approach 3

2 Bringing Darkness to Light: Anglo-American Awareness of the Holocaust, 1945-95 9

The Liberation of the Camps: 1945 10

What was Uncovered 11

Media Responses to Liberation 14

Stylistic Themes in Reporting 20

General Responses to Press Disclosures 22

A Unique Response: Disbelief 29

A Landmark in Exposure to Genocide 36

Public Awareness of the Holocaust: 1945-95 37

Immediate Postwar Period 37

The Diary of Anne Frank 40

The Trial of Adolf Eichmann 42

Holocaust 46

Schindler's List 53

Conclusion 56

3 Inconveniently Close: Anglo-American Coverage of the Bosnian War 59

Western Discourse Regarding the Balkans 61

Quantitative Analysis: Overall Findings of Bosnia Data Set 66

News Article Coverage 66

Front Page Coverage 67

Editorial, Comment and Letters Coverage 68

Period One: 1-28 August 1992 70

Quantitative Findings: 1-28 August 1992 72

The Importance of Concentration Camp Imagery 76

Calls for Intervention 83

The Framing of Violence in the Balkans 84

Period Two: 29 January - 26 February 1994 86

Quantitative Findings: 29 January - 26 February 1994 89

Themes within Coverage 91

Confusing Victims and Perpetrators 97

Period Three: 7 July - 3 August 1995 102

Quantitative Findings: 7 July - 3 August 1995 104

Themes within Coverage 106

Period Four: 21 August - 18 September 1995 120

Quantitative Findings: 21 August - 18 September 1995 120

Themes within Coverage 122

Conclusion 128

4 A Faraway People: Media Coverage of the Rwandan Genocide 131

Western Discourse Regarding Africa 133

Quantitative Findings 136

News Article Coverage 137

Front Page Coverage 138

Opinion Coverage 142

Themes within Coverage 146

Tribalism and Anarchy 147

Prospects of Intervention 153

Lack of Focus on the Genocide 159

Rare Instances of Press Focus 166

Western Evacuation 167

French Intervention 169

Refugee Crisis 173

Conclusion 177

5 From Disbelief to Disinterest 181

Violence in the Media 187

The Holocaust in the Anglo-American World 190

Conclusion 194.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-275) and index.

ISBN:

1784537225

9781784537227

OCLC:

964292833