African Journalists and Mass Atrocities: Of Arab Perpetrators and Black African Victims in Darfur

• In Event: 172 - Section on Peace, War and Social Conflict Roundtables (one-hour). Table 01. Peace and Peacebuilding
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 02. Media and Perceptions in War and Conflict

Abstract

Based on an analysis of print media and journalists’ interviews, this article examines the representation of atrocity and mass violence in Africa. It specifically focuses on the atrocities in Darfur and Rwanda and compares African and western coverage of them. It argues that since representations (just as the knowledge that anchors them) are highly dependent on one’s social location it is necessary to understand multiple representations of the same atrocity. Though literature on representation of Africa has been critical of western representations of Africa, this article argues that including African representations of the same provides for a more nuanced understanding.

Author

• Nicholas James Siguru Wahutu, University of Minnesota