While we should lay blame on the xenophobic violence squarely at the door of the state for a number of reasons clearly stipulated by a range of experts, we also need to consider the role of the media.
Our research over the years has revealed that:
- While the overwhelming majority of media take clear editorial positions opposing and condemning racism and xenophobia there are also a number of ways in which some contribute to supporting negative stereotypes.
- While it would be clearly unfair to suggest the mainstream media provoke or support the violence they do need to take responsibility for the manner in which they have contributed to where we find ourselves now.
It is highly unusual, indeed exceptional to find stories that clearly stereotype foreign nationals. Rather as a pattern what we tend to see is how short reports, often based on police reports contribute to negative stereotypes. An example would be crime briefs where a story will note how many people have been arrested over a weekend and say how many were arrested for illegal possession of firearms, drugs etc, and also a number of “illegal foreigners”. Sometime the stories will give their nationalities, e.g. 12 Zimbabweans and 6 Nigerians. In and of itself the story isn’t unfair but as a pattern over time lumping illegal and or undocumented migrants together with criminals perpetuates particular stereotypes as to people’s legality and also equates their actions as being criminal.
These stories are then often supported by others where news sources will note a person’s nationality and it won’t be challenged in the item – effectively allowing the stereotype to stand or be supported. To be clear, a person’s nationality can and should be included where it is relevant and adds value to a piece. If not, why include it in the first place? A person’s nationality doesn’t determine their actions, to suggest it does is fundamentally racist.
The third concerning element is how images can also contribute to supporting stereotypes. This issue is often linked to how we portray the loss of life, particularly African lives. We saw, for example in the recent massacre in Kenya the dead bodies and the grief stricken family in close ups and brutal images. Over time and combined with stereotypical images of starving children, poverty etc these images work to reinforce negative stereotypes about Africa and Africans. It is important to stress that it isn’t that these events don’t happen or shouldn’t be reported, rather that we need better ways of reporting them. The example that highlights this is if we consider the coverage of the recent air disaster in Europe. In Kenya we saw the dead and dying in graphic detail. In Europe we saw distant, largely sensitive images of the families who lost their loved ones, but we didn’t see the body parts from the disasters in mainstream media. Again it isn’t one event but that this is generally true as a pattern of coverage. So we never see the ages of school shootings in the USA but mainstream media will show dead and dying Africans. As a pattern this serves to reinforce stereotypes and diminish the value of African lives.
On the positive side, we need to commend media for raising and highlighting issues of racism and xenophobia and for taking clear editorial positions against them. It was thanks to the media that the comments by King Zwelithini were reported and highlighted. It is also thanks to the media that we see some excellent pieces and images and interviews that help us understand what is going on. The real challenge, as we see, with events like Marikana is for media to be playing a role and reporting issues before they end in violence and the loss of life. Oftentimes the first we hear of issues is when there is violence, and indeed many communities know that for their issue to be heard they need to resort to violence so it will be covered in the media.
Reporting issues like racism and xenophobia are not easy; they need hard work and dedication especially if they are to get the audience’s attention. Currently many of our media are simply stuck fighting fires and struggling to cover the events of the day with too few resources to cover issues in an ongoing and dedicated manner. The problem of course is that while we can understand the challenges, unless all of us and our media find ways of reporting these issues on an ongoing and consistent basis where stereotypes are challenged, we will find ourselves in the same place again asking the same question, why?
fenofibrate 200mg tablet fenofibrate brand buy fenofibrate generic
buy zaditor 1mg without prescription ketotifen over the counter buy imipramine online
purchase acarbose pills acarbose for sale order griseofulvin online cheap
minoxytop cost buy tadalafil 10mg buy ed pills usa
order aspirin without prescription zovirax creams buy generic zovirax for sale
dipyridamole drug buy gemfibrozil 300mg generic pravastatin 10mg tablet
order dydrogesterone 10mg pills order sitagliptin 100 mg buy jardiance paypal
buy prasugrel pill prasugrel 10mg brand detrol 1mg over the counter
order monograph 600mg pills mebeverine 135mg us order generic pletal
order ferrous sulfate 100mg generic order risedronate 35mg online cheap buy sotalol 40mg for sale
pyridostigmine 60 mg us buy pyridostigmine 60 mg online cheap buy generic rizatriptan for sale
buy enalapril pills purchase duphalac generic buy lactulose paypal
buy generic betahistine 16 mg buy zovirax eye drops order probenecid online
buy zovirax no prescription zovirax drug buy exelon 3mg sale
where to buy prilosec without a prescription buy lopressor cheap order metoprolol pills
order premarin generic guaranteed viagra overnight delivery usa sildenafil 100mg us
micardis 80mg pills buy cheap generic molnupiravir molnunat 200mg oral
tadalafil 20mg brand buy viagra cost sildenafil 100mg
cenforce uk buy chloroquine generic order chloroquine sale
order omnicef online generic lansoprazole 15mg lansoprazole brand
provigil medication deltasone oral buy prednisone 20mg sale
accutane medication buy zithromax 500mg online purchase zithromax pill
order atorvastatin 20mg pills buy amlodipine online cheap order generic amlodipine
azithromycin 250mg sale order omnacortil 10mg neurontin buy online
live dealer blackjack order lasix online order furosemide without prescription
buy generic pantoprazole 40mg buy generic pyridium online purchase pyridium online
real money casino ventolin over the counter albuterol over the counter
play online blackjack real money world series of poker online ivermectin lotion price
buy symmetrel 100 mg online buy cheap avlosulfon order aczone online
medrol 8 mg without a doctor prescription nifedipine usa aristocort 4mg over the counter
clomid online order oral clomid 50mg buy imuran generic
buy cheap generic levitra buy zanaflex no prescription buy generic zanaflex
order dilantin 100 mg without prescription ditropan over the counter how to buy oxytrol
order baclofen 25mg order toradol online cheap purchase toradol for sale
order ozobax sale buy amitriptyline 10mg without prescription ketorolac sale
glimepiride 1mg pills etoricoxib for sale online etoricoxib 120mg pills
buy fosamax 70mg generic furadantin 100 mg usa nitrofurantoin 100mg oral
propranolol drug buy motrin medication buy plavix online cheap
purchase nortriptyline sale methotrexate 10mg for sale buy anacin cheap
cheap orlistat diltiazem tablet diltiazem order online
buy coumadin 2mg without prescription purchase coumadin for sale maxolon price
astelin buy online buy acyclovir 800mg without prescription avapro 150mg pill
buy famotidine for sale brand famotidine tacrolimus 5mg tablet
esomeprazole us buy generic mirtazapine 15mg order generic topiramate 200mg
allopurinol without prescription clobetasol generic buy generic crestor
imitrex brand dutasteride over the counter cost avodart 0.5mg
zantac 150mg generic oral meloxicam purchase celebrex
domperidone 10mg pills buy coreg paypal buy sumycin generic
flomax where to buy oral zocor zocor 10mg for sale
purchase term paper help writing a paper for college online thesis writing
spironolactone 25mg for sale buy finasteride for sale finpecia over the counter
sildenafil over the counter cost estrace 1mg buy yasmin
fluconazole 200mg canada cipro over the counter baycip drug
purchase lamotrigine generic minipress 1mg sale cheap nemazole
buy metronidazole 200mg for sale metronidazole pills buy cephalexin pills for sale
buy clindamycin cheap fildena cheap fildena 100mg cheap
buy cheap generic tamoxifen order nolvadex 10mg sale how to get symbicort without a prescription
tadacip canada tadacip 10mg tablet buy indocin generic
cefuroxime 500mg cheap buy generic cefuroxime online methocarbamol for sale online
trazodone 100mg tablet desyrel pills buy clindac a without a prescription
purchase lamisil pills real money games bonus poker online
buy aspirin pills for sale aspirin ca play money poker online
purchase trimox online cheap biaxin 250mg cheap purchase biaxin without prescription
rocaltrol canada calcitriol brand tricor 200mg canada
order catapres 0.1mg without prescription spiriva 9 mcg canada tiotropium bromide 9 mcg generic
prescription medication for severe acne adult acne causes in female brand oxcarbazepine 600mg
order minocin 50mg without prescription minocycline over the counter requip 2mg canada
alfuzosin where to buy how to cure gerd immediately and permanently prescription heartburn medication side effects
provera for sale brand provera hydrochlorothiazide uk
herb that helps quit smoking subsidised nicotine replacement therapy ordering pain medication online
cheap periactin purchase nizoral online cheap cost nizoral
daily suppressive therapy for herpes are inhalers over the counter type 2 diabetes lab values