Reporting Genocide: Media, Mass Violence and Human Rights

The Western world's responses to genocide have been slow, unwieldly and sometimes unfit for purpose. So argues David Patrick in this essential new contribution to the aid and intervention debate. While the UK and US have historically been committed to the ideals of human rights, freedom and equality, their actual material reactions are more usually dictated by geopolitical 'noise', pre-conceived ideas of worth and the media attention-spans of individual elected leaders. Utilizing 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. The Reporting of Genocide demonstrates how such tragedies are reduced to stereotypes in the media - framed in terms of innocent victims and brutal oppressors - which can over-simplify the situation on the ground. This in turn can lead to mixed and inadequate responses from governments. Reporting on Genocide also seeks to address how responses to genocides across the globe can be improved, and will be essential reading for policy-makers and for scholars of genocide and the media.

Table of Contents:
Chapter One The Crime of Crimes? Structure and Approach Chapter Two Bringing Darkness to Light: Anglo-American Awareness of the Holocaust, 1945-1995 The Liberation of the Camps – 1945 What was Uncovered Media Responses to Liberation Stylistic Themes in Reporting General Responses to Press Disclosures A Unique Response: Disbelief A Landmark in Exposure to Genocide Public Awareness of the Holocaust: 1945-1995 Immediate Post-War Period The Diary of Anne Frank The Trial of Adolf Eichmann Holocaust Schindler's List Concluding Remarks Chapter Three Inconveniently Close: Anglo-American Coverage of the Bosnian War Western Discourse Regarding the Balkans Quantitative Analysis: Overall Findings of Bosnia Data Set News Article Coverage Front Page Coverage Editorial, Comments and Letters Coverage Period One: 1 August – 28 August 1992 Quantitative Findings: 1 – 28 August 1992 The Importance of Concentration Camp Imagery Calls for Intervention The Framing of Violence in the Balkans Period Two: 29 January – 26 February 1994 Quantitative Findings: 29 January – 26 February 1994 Themes within Coverage Confusing Victims and Perpetrators Period Three: 7 July – 3 August 1995 Quantitative Findings: 7 July – 3 August 1995 Themes within Coverage Period Four: 21 August – 18 September 1995 Quantitative Findings Themes within Coverage Concluding Remarks Chapter Four A Faraway People: Media Coverage of the Rwandan Genocide Western Discourse Regarding Africa Quantitative Findings News Article Coverage Front Page Coverage Opinion Coverage Themes within Coverage Tribalism and Anarchy Prospects of Intervention Lack of Focus on the Genocide Rare Instances of Press Focus Western Evacuation French Intervention Refugee Crisis Conclusion Chapter Five From Disbelief to Disinterest Violence in the Media The Holocaust in the Anglo-American World Concluding Remarks Appendix Notes Bibliography Index

About the Author :
David Patrick is Post-Doctoral Researcher at the University of the Free State, South Africa. He completed his PhD in Modern History at Sheffield University.