Media Representation of the Rwandan Genocide - 1202 Words

This article considers how the representation of events in the news can serve to shape public opinion or discourage statesmanship. Through the example of the Rwanda Genocide my argument is that representation is constitutive of the ways in which we understand the world and of the hierarchy that currently exists within mainstream media. As (Michael J. Shapiro, 1989) discussed ‘The reason for looking at representational practices in relation to texts, language and modes of interpretation is because it is through these practices that ideas about International Relations are produced’. Through the media coverage on the Rwanda Genocide I investigate how a lack of representation can limit the study and practice of International Relations.†¦show more content†¦A large number of Rwandans could not read or write and, as a result, radio was an important way for the government to deliver messages to the population. In March 1992, Radio in Rwanda was first used in directly promoting the killing of Tutsi and as a disseminating source of propaganda. The media often relied heavily on half-truths and sometimes-outright lies and threats to define who the enemy was and why retaliation should proceed. This failure on the part of party officials and media to stem the progress into the abyss contributed significantly to fuelling a climate of intolerance and turned them into agents of destruction of Rwandan society. (Sibomana 1999: 49). The Western media thus has the power to ‘transform a crisis from one that is at micro level hardly noted by decision-makers, to one that is at macro level and receiving higher priority’(Auerbach and Bloch-Elkon 2005: 16). As embodied within the Rwandan Genocides, political events are representative of contemporary global politics, and belong to a precise history of colonialism. (Mamdani, 2002, 498). ‘Contained within the fabrication and procreation of global politics is the interpretation of what the genocide might mean’ (Evans, 1999, 3). Naturalizing the Western ideal of sovereignty is the concept of ‘failed’ or ‘failing’ states and the separation between that which is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. ThisShow MoreRelatedIn Her Article, â€Å"How Not To Talk About African Fiction:1516 Words   |  7 Pagessocial ills, cultural themes, and political concerns† (par. 4). Although it highlights the social ill of the Rwandan Genocide, Boris Boubacar Diop’s novel, Murambi: The Book of Bones (2000), attracts audiences due to having a fictional stor yline while simultaneously discussing the realistic events and experiences of the Rwandan genocide. Within the novel, Diop writes about the Rwandan Genocide, spending a particular amount of time on the massacre that took place at the Murambi technical school. ToRead MoreEthnic Differences Between Tutsi And Twa Essay1266 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis Before the genocide, Rwanda demonstrated three major ethnic categories. Hutu constituted the majority of the population, accounting for some 85% of all native Rwandans. Tutsi and Twa, comprising approximately 14% and 1% of the population respectively, shared Rwanda with the Hutu majority. Between Hutu and Tutsi, there were no major differences in language, religion, or clanship. Traditionally, these ethnic distinctions related to occupation rather than traditional racial categories:Read MoreThe Epidemic Of Africa And The Abduction Of The 200 Chibok3867 Words   |  16 Pagesrecently witnessed the reporting of the Ebola Crisis in West Africa and the abduction of the 200 Chibok schoolgirls in Nigeria by terrorists Boko Haram. These events were barely covered until they became a crisis. With reference to the reporting of the genocide in Rwanda, it â€Å"claimed the spotlight only after there were indisputably ‘lots of dead bodies’† (Carruthers, 2011, p.166). We stern press collectively ignores Africa at best and at worst report only ‘bad news’ creating the impression that Africa isRead MoreThe Genocide Of The Rwandan And Tutsi Tribes, Colonialism As The Catalyst For Genocide Essay1243 Words   |  5 Pagesan essay about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda utilizing writings from the play Maria Kizito and the script from the motion picture Hotel Rwanda I found more data by writers who wrote journals and articles that explained particular areas I had interest in. These journals and articles discuss with more detail Rwanda’s History, the history of the Hutu and the Tutsi tribes, Colonialism as the catalyst for genocide in Rwanda. The area this paper will focus on is the role of the media during that time. My goalRead MoreThe Political And Media Views On The Genocide3280 Words   |  14 PagesIn this paper individuals will know multi situations that happened in the genocide of Rwanda. All in all, the focus is clearly on the polit ical and media views on the genocide, but overall this paper talks about what happened before, during, and after the genocide, to get a complete understanding of what actual went on. Before the genocide, there was already a division between the Hutus and Tutsis. This came about because European colonist moved into Rwanda causing many issues. During the war A planeRead MoreThe Genocide Of Rwanda s Tutsi Minority1783 Words   |  8 PagesThe 1994 genocide in Rwanda took place on the 7th of April, a day after the aircraft carrying the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira, president of neighboring Burrundi was shot down. The 7th of April 1994 saw a succession of massacres across Rwanda. 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This representation is particularly important when looking at theRead MoreThe Rwandan Genocide Of Rwanda941 Words   |  4 PagesStarting on April 6, 1994, Hutus started butchering the Tutsis in the African nation of Rwanda. Lasting 100 days, the Rwandan Genocide left approximately 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu sympathizers dead. To understand this act horrible against the Tutsi population, one most be aware of key historical factors that lead to increase in tension between the Tutsi and Hutu. At the point when Rwanda was initially settled, the general population who lived there raised cows. The general population who claimed theRead MoreThe Effects Of Rape Culture And The Psychological Post Traumatic Effects Of Rape2310 Words   |  10 Pages When discussing genocide, it is simpler to discuss the overall impact of the collective to create an elaborate visualization of the horrific events incurred by genocide, than to focus on the impact of a single genocidaire. 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