Feeling The Pain Of Others: Representation Of Distant Suffering In The Media

Thanks to the media suffering of distant others is brought to our homes and our daily lives. We can witness something that is happening miles away from us through the intermediate link-the media-between us, the audience, and the'others', who are suffering. Although, it is the media that brings us closer to the suffering of distant others, the way it is reported can create a distance between us, and the'others'. Through their systematic choices of words and images, the media do not only expose audiences to the spectacles of distant suffering but, in so doing, they simultaneously expose them to specific dispositions to feel, think and act towards each instance of suffering.This study examines how distant suffering is represented in the British media, focusing on the two disasters-hurricane Katrina and Sichuan earthquake. Representations from two national broadsheets newspapers, The Daily Telegraph and The Times, are studied, using the toll of Critical Discourse Analysis. The main aim of this research is to investigate how media cover distant suffering and what are the differences between the coverage of a US and a Chinese disaster in the British media. Focusing on hurricane Katrina and Sichuan earthquake, the main questions being researched are:Why do some disasters get more media exposure than others? How this coverage can influence our perceptions of'distant others'? What are the main criteria for a story to be covered in the media? What are the differences between the coverage of a US and a Chinese disaster and why?...