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Pablo Medina Uribe

Media Theory

Spring 2014

The New School

How News Media Create Reality

Linda Polman, a Du ch !ournali" , arri#ed in Sierra Leone in 2001$ % wa" he year in

which he &'rican coun ry "igned a peace rea y wi h he (e#olu ionary Uni ed )ron , a

group ha had waged a "eemingly purpo"ele""*bu no ably "anguinary*guerrilla war

'or o#er a decade$ Polman had gone here o ry o 'ind a rea"on 'or all he de" ruc ion

ha had occurred$ % all "eemed poin le""$ &ccording o Philip +oure#i ch, whorecoun ed Polman " e-perience in an ar icle in The New .or/er, he con#en ional

wi"dom wa" ha Sierra Leone " ci#il war had been pure in"ani y en" o' hou"and"

dead, many more maimed or wounded, and hal' he popula ion di"placed*all 'or

no hing $

.e , Polman " ar ed o under" and he rea"on behind hi" madne"" when "he 'ound ou

ha 'ormer rebel leader" had " ar ed o label hem"el#e" humani arian wor/er" , and

al"o when "he in er#iewed one o' hem who called him"el' 3olonel andamme

5pre"umably a' er 6elgian ac ion mo#ie " ar 7ean83laude an Damme9$ :e old Polman,

"pea/ing in he local dialec Them N$+$;$ wi'e"

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No @ui e$

& rebel leader ha Polman 'ound in he ci y o' Mi/ani made hing" clearer you people

loo/ed he o her way all ho"e year" , he "aid o he Du ch !ournali" , here wa" no hing

o " op 'or$ A#ery hing wa" bro/en, and you people weren here o 'i- i $ 5$$$9 % wa" only

when you "aw e#er more ampu ee" ha you " ar ed paying a en ion o our 'a e$ 5$$$9

?i hou he ampu ee 'ac or, you people wouldn ha#e come 5+oure#i ch9$

The ($U$)$ had buil a narra i#e ha made hem in o na ional heroe"$ They had made a

wager he more bru al heir ac ion" were, he higher wa" he li/elihood o' he

in erna ional communi y paying a en ion o Sierra Leone 5and he higher he pro'i " hey

go 'rom he peace proce"" would be9$ They were righ $ A#en i' i wa" rue or no hahey were alway" rying o help heir coun ry by crea ing mindle"" #iolence, a" heir

hin/ing wen , hey were righ in hin/ing ha he in erna ional communi y would reac

only when he new" media " ar ed o repea a narra i#e, when an ea"y o remember

label wa" applied o he coun ry$ ;nly hen people abroad would be able o pinpoin

Sierra Leone, ma/ing i "ynonymou" wi h one o' i " problem"$

6u hi", o' cour"e, i" no an i"ola ed ca"e$

%n 201B, a" "he re"earched he "eemingly ar i'icial in'la ion o' rape repor " in he

Democra ic (epublic o' he 3ongo , !ournali" Laura :ea on "po/e wi h Maria Ari/""on

6aaC and Maria S ern, e-per " in he region, who old her ha mo" emergencie"

cen er around one " ory and one ca egory o' #ic im"$ %n Liberia, i wa" he child "oldier",

in Sierra Leone i wa" mainly he ampu ee", and in he D(3 i wa" he raped women

5:ea on9$

:ea on 'ound ou ha in Lu#ungi, a own in he ea" ern par o' he coun ry, local" had

decided o lie abou he number o' women ha had been raped on a rebel raid in &ugu"

o' 2010$ They had in'la ed he number", in par becau"e hey didn wan o "ignal and

o" raciCe he women who had been indeed raped, bu al"o in par becau"e hey /new

wha wa" he label ha wa" being applied o hem a Uni ed Na ion" o''icial had

http://ow.ly/wJ7j3http://ow.ly/wJ7j3http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8650112.stmhttp://ow.ly/wJ7j3http://ow.ly/wJ7j3http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8650112.stm

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declared he Democra ic (epublic o' he 3ongo he rape capi al o' he world in &pril$ &

narra i#e ha re#ol#ed around "e-ual #iolence wa" he /ind o' " ory in he D(3 ha

would ha#e brough in erna ional media co#erage$ So he local" lied, in hope" ha he

inciden would bring a en ion and, e#en ually, 'inancial help o heir region$

& en ion did come, wi h " orie" in he in erna ional new" media repor ing 1 ha a" many

a" B00 women were he #ic im" o' "e-ual #iolence during he 'our8day a ac/$ 6u , due

o he image ha he media crea ed abou wha i" and wha happen" in he D(3, he

help ha came wa", mo" ly, inade@ua e$ :ea on e-plain"

%n a 2012 repor 2 publi"hed by ?ageningen Uni#er"i y in he Ne herland",

re"earcher" Nyn/e Douma and Doro hea :ilhor" e-amined how 'unding oaddre"" he ho" o' challenge" 3ongo 'ace"*'rom i " preda ory army and police

o i " aby"mal !udicial "y" em and he ma""i#e in ernal di"placemen o' i " people

*i" appor ioned$ They 'ound a di"propor iona e 'ocu" on rape$

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)rench "cholar 6ernard S iegler, al/ing abou he ma"" produc ion o' global T

ne wor/", argue" "ome hing ha can apply o mo" con emporary new" ou le "

wha re"ul " 'rom hi" "elec ion proce"" and near in" an aneou" ran"mi""ion o'

in'orma ion i" he indu" rial 'abrica ion o' he pre"en an e#en become" an

e#en *i li erally a/e" place*only in being co#ered$ %ndu" rial ime i" alway"

a lea" co8produced by he media$ 3o#erage *wha i" o be co#ered*i"

de ermined by cri eria orien ed oward producing "urplu" #alue$ Ma""

broadca" ing i" a machine o produce ready8made idea", clichF" $ 5GG9

Thi" i" why ho"e who"e reali y i" being media ed by new" media ha#e o adap o i "

'orm", o i " my h"$ &nd hi" i" why :ea on repor " ha , in he D(3, organiCa ion"/now ha heir program" are more li/ely o be 'unded i' heir bene'iciarie" are #ic im" o'

"e-ual #iolence*and women /now ha hey will ha#e a be er chance o' acce""ing

medical care, "chool 'ee", microcredi , and hou"ing i' hey repor being a "e-ual8

#iolence "ur#i#or $

)or roman ic" o' !ournali"m hi" migh "eem li/e a gli ch, !u" a 'ew ca"e" o' non8

ob!ec i#e repor ing, o' no accura ely por raying reali y $ 6u media are ne#er neu ral$

They are alway" "ub!ec i#e and here'ore hey in#arian ly crea e new reali ie"$ Thi" i"

no "ome hing new$ &lready in 1HG0 :an" Magnu" AnCenberger "aid ha

e#ery u"e o' he media pre"uppo"e" manipula ion$ The mo" elemen ary

proce""e" in media produc ion, 'rom he choice o' he medium i "el' o "hoo ing,

cu ing, "ynchroniCa ion, dubbing, righ up o di" ribu ion, are all opera ion"

carried ou on he raw ma erial$ There i" no "uch hing a" unmanipula ed wri ing,

'ilming, or broadca" ing 52IJ9$

)orm al er" con en , o' cour"e$ 6y con aining i , 'orm mu" alway" "hape con en in one

or o her way$ The medium alway" add" in'orma ion o he me""age ha i con#ey" and

ine#i ably become" indi#i"ible 'rom i $ ;r, a" Mar"hall McLuhan "aid, he per"onal and

"ocial con"e@uence" o' any medium* ha i", o' any e- en"ion o' our"el#e"* re"ul

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'rom he new "cale ha i" in roduced in o our a''air" by each e- en"ion o' our"el#e", or

by any new echnology $ 519

So, in he par icular ca"e o' new" media, where he con en i", allegedly, e@ui#alen o

he reali y ha "urround" u", and he poli ical " ruc ure" ha underlie i , he repor ing

become" indi" ingui"hable 'rom wha i" being repor ed$ (eali y i" no al ered by he

media ion o' he new" indu" ry, ra her i i" manu'ac ured e#ery ime i i" being repor ed$

Neu rali y i" hu" impo""ible in media$ So wha do, e-ac ly, he new" media crea e wi h

heir co#erage> %n hi" re"pon"e o he a'oremen ioned AnCenberger e- , 7ean

6audrillard build" on hi"

% i" 'al"e ha in he pre"en order he media are purely and "imply mean" o'

di" ribu ion$ ;nce again, ha i" o rea hem a" he relay o' an ideology ha

would 'ind i " de ermina ion" el"ewhere 5in he mode o' ma erial produc ion9K in

o her word", he media a" mar/e ing and merchandiCing o' he dominan

ideology$ % i" 'rom hi" per"pec i#e ha he rela ion media producer8 ran"mi er

#er"u" irre"pon"ible, recep i#e ma""e" i" a""imila ed o ha o' capi ali" #er"u"

"alaried wor/er$ 6u i i" no a" #ehicle" o' con en , bu in heir 'orm and #ery

opera ion, ha media induce a "ocial rela ionK and hi" i" no an e-ploi a i#e

rela ion i in#ol#e" he ab" rac ion, "epara ion, and aboli ion o' e-change i "el'$

The media are no co8e''icien ", bu e''ec or" o' ideology$ 5$$$9 he media are no

e#en, "omewhere el"e or po en ially, neu ral or non8ideological 5 he phan a"m o'

heir echnical " a u" or o' heir "ocial u"e #alue9$ (eciprocally, ideology doe" no

e-i" in "ome place apar , a" he di"cour"e o' he dominan cla"", be'ore i i"

channeled hrough he media$ The "ame applie" o he "phere o' commodi ie"

nowhere do he la er po""e"" on ological " a u" independen ly o' he 'orm heya/e in he opera ion o' he e-change #alue "y" em$ Nor i" ideology "ome

%maginary 'loa ing in he wa/e o' e-change #alue i i" he #ery opera ion o' he

e-change #alue i "el'$ &' er he (e@uiem 'or he dialec ic, i i" nece""ary o oll

he (e@uiem o' he in'ra8 and "uper" ruc ure$ 52 09

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Thi" i" no immedia ely e-plici , bu i i" ingrained in he con"ciou"ne"" o' media

con"umer"$ % migh be why 3olonel andamme cho"e o bear ha name*by

imper"ona ing a 'amou" ac ion mo#ie hero, he migh become ac ual hero and hi"

crime", !u" li/e he one" commi ed by an Damme " charac er", will be "een a" merely

nece""ary mean" o achie#e grea er good$ ;r con#er"ely, i' he heroic narra i#e doe"n

ca ch on, 3olonel andamme can hope o be 'eared, a" he i" a""ocia ed wi h he

#iolence o' ho"e who can /ill wi hou con"e@uence"$

S iegler add"

he media i" ne#er "a i"'ied wi h coproducing e#en "$ e#er more o' en, hey

produce$ There ha" oday occurred a #eri able in#er"ion in he rela ion be weenli'e and media he media now rela e" li'e each day wi h "uch 'orce ha hi"

rela ion "eem" no only o an icipa e bu ineluc ably o precede, ha i", o

de ermine, li'e i "el'$ %n he ri#alry among he media, hi" rela ion ha" become

dri#e8orien ed*'or "uch i" he law o' he "en"a ional*and ha" promo ed bo h

he " aging o' errori" ac " and he ordinary pornography o' ele#i"ion$ ?ha hi"

mean" i" ha he media oday de" roy" he "uperego a" much a" i pre"er#e" i ,

which i" o "ay ha i de" roy" he #ery condi ion 'or he ran"'orma ion o' dri#e"

in o de"ire, ha i", in o "ocial energy$ 5S iegler 19

There i" no "epara ion 'rom li'e and how he in'orma ion abou li'e i" being

di""emina ed$ Tha i" why a ci#il war can be waged !u" o crea e headline" and why he

inhabi an " o' a remo e #illage in he 3ongo can ran"'orm heir reali y by manu'ac uring

how he are repor ed on in he new"$

6ibliography

6audrillard, 7ean$ (e@uiem 'or he Media, in ?ardrip8)ruin, Noah, and Nic/ Mon 'or ,

ed"$ The Ne !ediaReader $ ol$ 1$ M%T Pre"", 200B$

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Douma, Nyn/e, and Doro hea 7$ :ilhor" $ Fond de Commerce?: Sexual Violence

Assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo $ 2012$

AnCenberger, :an" Magnu"$ 3on" i uen " o' a heory o' he Media, in ?$ 7$ T$ Mi chell

Mar/ 6$ N$ :an"en 5ed"$9, Critical Terms for !edia Studies 53hicago London

Uni#er"i y o' 3hicago Pre""9 2JH 2GI, 2010$

+oure#i ch, Philip$ &lm" Dealer" 3an .ou Pro#ide :umani arian &id wi hou

)acili a ing 3on'lic ">$ The Ne "or#er 11 520109$

:ea on, Laura$ ?ha :appened in Lu#ungi>$ Foreign $olic% $ March 4 520109$

:or/heimer, Ma-, and Theodor ?$ &dorno$ The cul ure indu" ry Anligh enmen a"

ma"" decep ion$ Dialectic of &nlightenment , 1H4G$

Maa", Pe er$ The Toppling$ The Ne "or#er 1 520119$

McLuhan, Mar"hall$ The Medium i" he Me""aege in 'nderstanding !edia: the

&xtensions of !an $ 51HI49$

S iegler, 6ernard$ The %ndu" rial A- erioriCa ion o' Memory, in ?$ 7$ T$ Mi chell Mar/

6$ N$ :an"en 5ed"$9, Critical Terms for !edia Studies 53hicago London Uni#er"i y o'

3hicago Pre""9 2GG 2 , 2010$

UN o''icial call" D( 3ongo Orape capi al o' he worldO $ 663 New"$ &pril 2 520109$