Abstract
There is little doubt as to the mark left by the 1994 Rwandan genocide on historical discourse and perhaps even the American cultural consciousness. U.S. evening news broadcasts carried images of suffering and death into homes across the US, and in the process made Rwanda the site of one of the most recognized traumas in human history. While cultural proximity in mass media coverage played a role, the characterization of media coverage of the genocide, often defined in the press as explicit and constant, requires analysis. This project analyzes US evening network news broadcasts to address the actualities and implications of reporting on the genocide. This includes the posture and nature of media coverage, the expression of cultural proximity, and ideological content in network news programs. Looking at key terminology used by reporters and anchors during broadcasts exposes the racialized and exoticized posture of US network television news coverage and allows for an interrogation of the impact of media coverage.
Recommended Citation
Young, Andrew P.. "Framing Tragedy: Discourse and Influence in US Media Coverage of the 1994 Rwanda Genocide." Journal of 20th Century Media History 4, 1 (2026): 28-50. doi:10.33470/2997-2523.1058.