‘Helping our beneficiaries tell their own stories?’ International aid agencies and the politics of voice within news production

Wright, Kate

doi:10.1177/1742766518759795

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…For every moral mistake committed by media producers who inadvertently harm the aid beneficiaries who are subject (or object?) of their representation (e.g., Wright, 2016), there are also achievements to appreciate: from the hospitable island dwellers in Chios openly welcoming refugees (Chouliaraki and Georgiou, 2017) to the concerned YouTube influencers uploading "amateur fundraising" videos on behalf of faraway victims of calamity (Pantti, 2015).…”

Section: Humanitarian Communication and Its Foundational Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ethnography in humanitarian communication can also produce definitive judgments about media harm and symbolic violence. Kate Wright’s (2016) deep dive into the collaborative projects between aid agencies and news organizations used interviews and document analysis to carefully piece together some of the scandalous choices that went behind the news coverage of humanitarian atrocity. Sharply focusing on the uses (and abuses) of aid agencies’ engagements with interpreters who are fluent in the local language and act as cultural intermediaries, Wright demonstrated producers’ haste and carelessness that led to clear violations of company policy around informed consent and protection.…”

Section: From Principles To Process: Production Studies Of Humanitarimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toward an ordinary ethics of mediated humanitarianism: An agenda for ethnography

Ong

2019

International Journal of Cultural Studies

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This article takes stock of the insights and approaches advanced by the last 15 years of critical research in humanitarian communication and distant suffering while arguing for a new agenda for ethnography. Ethnography lays bare the messy and fertile terrains of human experience and disrupts idealized figures of witness and sufferer, aid worker and aid recipient, event and the everyday. Bringing into dialogue the anthropology of aid literature and media and cultural studies, this article proposes three important shifts for future research:(1) a focus on processes rather than principles in production studies of humanitarian communication, (2) a focus on ethics arising from everyday life rather than from events of distant suffering, and (3) and a focus on the lifeworlds of the poor and vulnerable rather than those of witnesses.

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Section: Humanitarian Communication and Its Foundational Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: From Principles To Process: Production Studies Of Humanitarimentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward an ordinary ethics of mediated humanitarianism: An agenda for ethnography

Ong

2019

International Journal of Cultural Studies

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“…Fenton (2010) argues, for example, that aid agencies' commitment to newsmaking is undermining their ability to provide alternative perspectives and worldviews, so they simply "clone" the news, rather than radically challenging news norms. Recent work has provided nuanced analysis of how these tensions play out in different contests, with implications for the logic and practices of both the humanitarian field and the journalistic field (McPherson, 2015;Moon, 2018;Powers, 2018;Wright, 2018).…”

Section: Who Makes and Funds Humanitarian Journalism?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Humanitarian Journalism

Bunce¹,

Scott²,

Wright³

2019

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication

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Humanitarian journalism can be defined, very broadly, as the production of factual accounts about crises and issues that affect human welfare. This can be broken down into two broad approaches: “traditional” reporting about humanitarian crises and issues, and advocacy journalism that aims to improve humanitarian outcomes. In practice, there is overlap between the two approaches. Mainstream journalists have long helped to raise awareness and funds for humanitarian crises, as well as provide early emergency warnings and monitor the treatment of citizens. Meanwhile, aid agencies and humanitarian campaigners frequently subsidize or directly provide journalistic content. There is a large research literature on humanitarian journalism. The most common focus of this research is the content of international reporting about humanitarian crises. These studies show that a small number of “high-profile” crises take up the vast majority of news coverage, leaving others marginalized and hidden. The quantity of coverage is not strongly correlated to the severity of a crisis or the number of people affected but, rather, its geopolitical significance and cultural proximity to the audience. Humanitarian journalism also tends to highlight international rescue efforts, fails to provide context about the causes of a crisis, and operates to erase the agency of local response teams and victims. Communication theorists have argued that this reporting prevents an empathetic and equal encounter between the audience and those affected by distant suffering. However, there are few empirical studies of the mechanisms through which news content influences audiences or policymakers. There are also very few production studies of the news organizations and journalists who produce humanitarian journalism. The research that does exist focuses heavily on news organizations based in the Global North/West.

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“…How should organisations budget their limited human and financial resources towards translation? The importance of addressing such challenges ethically may be missed if translation is viewed “as a largely logistical issue, akin to booking flights, travel permits or a driver” (Wright, 2018, p. 97).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ethics and crisis translation: insights from the work of Paul Ricoeur

O’Mathúna

Hunt

2019

DPM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical dimensions of crisis translation through the lenses of Paul Ricoeur’s philosophical scholarship. In particular, his work on both translation and ethics will be examined in order to draw practical applications for those involved in humanitarian action. Design/methodology/approach The authors identified relevant themes in the work of renowned philosopher Paul Ricoeur and used philosophical analysis to apply them to ethical issues in crisis translation. Findings Paul Ricoeur was one of the leading philosophers in the twentieth century, writing on a wide variety of topics. From these, his work on translation and on ethics provided suitable ways to examine ethical issues in crisis translation. In particular, his concept of “linguistic hospitality” provides an important lens through which translation ethics can be examined. In addition, Ricoeur’s approach to ethics emphasised relational and justice dimensions which are crucial to examine in humanitarian settings. Practical implications While the findings are conceptual, they have many practical implications for how translation is approached in humanitarian crises. The focus on justice in Ricoeur’s approach has implications for policy and practice and serves to ensure that translation is available for all affected communities and that all groups are included in discussions around humanitarian responses. Social implications Ricoeur’s work provides important insights into both translation and ethics that have significant social implications. His ideas highlight the personal and emotional aspects of translation and ethics, and point to their relational character. His openness to others provides an important basis for building trust and promoting dignity even in difficult humanitarian settings. Originality/value Ricoeur’s ethics points to the importance of persons and their relationships, reminding responders that translation is not just a mechanical exercise. This approach fosters an interest in and openness to others and their languages, which can promote respect towards those being helped in humanitarian crises.

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‘Helping our beneficiaries tell their own stories?’ International aid agencies and the politics of voice within news production

Cited by 11 publications

References 21 publications

Toward an ordinary ethics of mediated humanitarianism: An agenda for ethnography

Toward an ordinary ethics of mediated humanitarianism: An agenda for ethnography

Humanitarian Journalism

Ethics and crisis translation: insights from the work of Paul Ricoeur

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