Media and Mass Atrocities in Africa

Undergraduate

Over the last century, several instances of mass violence have unfolded in numerous parts of the world, the most notable being the Holocaust, the Rwandan Genocide, and ongoing atrocities in Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo. How these instances of violence have been represented will form the main body of this class. The study of western news representation of Africa (and the global south) and the dynamics of differential reporting is not new. However, what do we actually know about how African media represent genocide and mass atrocities that occur in Africa? How does the news create and reinforce knowledge about mass atrocities? How can the media both generate and rely on knowledge? Is there a difference between the knowledge produced by African media and media from the global north? These are the questions that will guide us for the semester. TTh 1:05pm-2:20pm