Media, genocide and international response: another look at Rwanda

James, Eric

doi:10.1080/09592310801905785

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…For example, the names of people she claimed as leaders of the RPF were listed by RTLM journalist called Valerie Bemeriki (Ruth, 2014). James (2008) argues that the role of hate media in the Rwanda genocide should not be exaggerated; while it is commonly believed that hate media was a major cause of the genocide in Rwanda, instead it was a part of a larger social process. On the contrary, Frohardt and Temin (2003) argue that, although there was no strong evidence provided the direct impact of the media, but in both Yugoslavia and Rwanda conflict cases the media were at least partially successful to trigger and widening the conflicts by transmitting 'imminent' threats from the conflicting groups.…”

Section: Data Analysis and Discussion Of The Study Instigating And Flaring Role Of Media In Rwanda And Yugoslaviamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Uvin (1997) states that the Hutu nationalists were blamed as: they were politically and economically oppressed by Tutsi's before independence from Belgium colonization. Rwandans were myth dependent societies; as a result myths and fabricated stories were used by the media as a communications crisis frame to intensify the genocide (James, 2008). Because of this deeply rooted myth communicated by the media, many Rwandans believed in the inherent animosity between Hutu and Tutsi groups.…”

Section: Media's Fear Creating Injustice and Adversarial Framesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dominant deep-rooted victimization frame, framed by Hutu nationalist media was 'Tutsis are the settlers'. They express this frame in different perspectives as 'foreigners' and 'cattle rearers' who gradually managed to install a system of centuries of oppression and exploitation (James, 2008;Lambourne, 2019;and Uvin, 1997). They framed 'Rwanda belongs to the Hutu, its original inhabitants', who had been cruelly conquered for centuries by the foreign masters of the Tutsi (Ruth, 2014;and Sobel & McIntyre, 2018).…”

Section: Media's Fear Creating Injustice and Adversarial Framesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kangura, from its inception, its mission was the defense of Hutu interests and it published many articles dehumanizing Tutsis (Thompson, 2007, p. 74). The typical example of a dehumanizing frame of the Rwanda media basically by Kangura and RTLM was labeling Tutsi's as Inyenzi 'cockroaches' (Frohardt & Temin, 2003;James, 2008;Ruth, 2014;and Sobel & McIntyre, 2018). Similarly, in 1993 Kangura published an article headlined 'a cockroach cannot give birth to a butterfly' (Ruth, 2014).…”

Section: Media's Fear Creating Injustice and Adversarial Framesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The 1994 genocide of Rwanda and the inter-ethnic conflict to the extent of disappearing of former Yugoslavia as a nation are the typical examples of how such kinds of the negative role of the media would lead a country to the worst scenario. Approximately 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda during 100 days genocide in 1994; mainly orchestrated by extreme ethnic nationalists through media (James, 2008;Ruth, 2014;Sobel & McIntyre, 2018;and Thompson, 2007). Similarly, nearly 134,000 people were killed by interethnic conflicts of former Yugoslavia, from 1991 up to 2001; and then the disintegration of Yugoslavia as a nation becomes realized (Lyon, 2003;Malesic, 2013;and Oberschall, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ethnic Nationalists Abuse of Media: Lessons of Yugoslavia and Rwanda for Ethiopia

Gessese

2020

ESJ

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This article tried to assess the role of media in the former Yugoslavia inter-ethnic conflict, the 1994 Rwanda's genocide, and Ethiopia's recent interethnic conflict trends comparatively. It also addresses lessons Ethiopia can learn from the former Yugoslavia and the 1994 Rwanda. It is mainly a qualitative study. For the analysis, semi-systematic literature review, frame analysis, and discourse analysis are used. Six ethnic-based media from Amhara, Oromo, and Tigre ethnic groups of Ethiopia were taken as a sample of the study. The finding shows that victimization frames, ethnic injustice frames, moral superiority frames, anti-hero frames, 'enemy within' frames, and self-defense frames are the dominant crisis frames of the media, which created fear, sense of a clear and present danger and mobilized violent action in both Yugoslavia and Rwanda. This article reveals that these crisis frames are also framed by all selected ethnic based media in current Ethiopia; to the extent of the potential consequence as the same result as both Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Additionally, Yugoslavia and Rwanda media played the role of instigating and flaring conflict and genocide respectively. Similarly, the current manifestations and trends of Ethiopia's ethnic-based media are following the path which Yugoslavia and Rwanda media has passed. Regional state/public media and specific 'ethnic group' based private/commercial Ethiopian media are abused by 'extreme ethnic nationalists'. Based on these comparative analyses, the study identified major lessons from Yugoslavia and Rwanda which will help Ethiopia to take timely measures. Thus, structured, content-specific, aggressive and proactive interventions on ethnic-based Ethiopian media are highly needed.

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Section: Data Analysis and Discussion Of The Study Instigating And Flaring Role Of Media In Rwanda And Yugoslaviamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Media's Fear Creating Injustice and Adversarial Framesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Media's Fear Creating Injustice and Adversarial Framesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Media's Fear Creating Injustice and Adversarial Framesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ethnic Nationalists Abuse of Media: Lessons of Yugoslavia and Rwanda for Ethiopia

Gessese

2020

ESJ

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Media reporting of ethnic identity-based violence and personal security challenges in North Shoa, Ethiopia

Zeyede,

Jemaneh,

Adaye

2024

Cogent Social Sciences

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Taming the Digital Leviathan

Shiva

2024

Advances in Human and Social Aspects of Technology

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Liberal democracies are undergoing a litmus test with the advancements of Web 3.0 fundamentally altering the global democratic praxis. Democracies contend with technologies that alienate, divide, and shape our opinions, choices, and preferences through bubble filters, echo chambers, and bot-driven agenda setting. Social media disinformation has resulted in the truth becoming the biggest causality skewing the power scale to favour the technologically sound and economically invested. Technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and deepfakes pose an existential threat to democracy. Particularly, deepfakes add to our woes, creating unforeseen implications for democratic governance as world leaders' use of social media to announce governmental policy decisions enhances its dangers including serious political and governmental upheaval. The chapter examines the interplay between social media platforms, digital technologies, and their implication for democracy through the twin prism of legal regulation and conceptualisation of the right to ‘truth'.

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Media, genocide and international response: another look at Rwanda

Cited by 3 publications

References 35 publications

Ethnic Nationalists Abuse of Media: Lessons of Yugoslavia and Rwanda for Ethiopia

Ethnic Nationalists Abuse of Media: Lessons of Yugoslavia and Rwanda for Ethiopia

Media reporting of ethnic identity-based violence and personal security challenges in North Shoa, Ethiopia

Taming the Digital Leviathan

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