The relevance of the social context for media coverage of victims

• Main Authors: Pavićević Olivera, Bulatović Aleksandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Victimology Society of Serbia and Prometej-Beograd 2017-01-01
• Series: Temida
• Subjects: victim; media coverage; social context; suffering; public discourse
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1450-6637/2017/1450-66371703357P.pdf

Media coverage of human suffering caused by trauma, illness, poverty and disasters worldwide takes up a significant part of media coverage and affects the identity of all actors, both active and passive. Media presentation shapes our thinking and reasoning at the group level, and has far reached impact. The social context of media reporting on victims is shaped by the capacity of the social system to recognize, acknowledge, strengthen and protect the victim. As an aspect of this capacity, media coverage of victims is indicator of victimization visibility. This paper discusses nature of media reporting as a phenomenon appearing in various forms as per given sources of victimization, and the ethical aspects of media presentation of victims. The aim of the paper is to contribute to the critical analysis of the media coverage of victims, by reconsidering an increased visibility of victims and their suffering, which is generated by media reporting, and whose dominant characteristic is presenting victims in the interpretative and performing manner.