Based on the understanding of media as a powerful institution that substantially affects our notion of happenings around us, this paper looks into the highly significant impacts of media on the human thinking and behavior in regard to whom and how we mourn. In particular, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate the constructed differentiation between "grievable" and "ungrievable" lives in mass media coverage following the terrorist attacks on July 7, 2005, in London.
Media has undeniably taken a highly important role in today’s rapidly changing and globally networked world. It allows for a fast exchange of information, worldwide interconnection as well as a deeper human connection. However, regardless of the beneficial functions media fulfills, it is also important to consider the significant impact media has on shaping public opinions as well as the perception of reality. Especially news media has an immense influence on the construction of widely spread concepts and ideas, as they reach a large audience and are (mostly) considered a reliable source of information. Therefore, it seems all the more important to critically reflect upon the medially conveyed thoughts and images, and the associated implications on society.
Drawing on Judith Butler’s works Precarious Life and Frames of War, the notion of grievability and the culturally determined framing of humanness are discussed at first. Thus, this paper depicts the global divide between lives that are considered "human" and, therefore, grievable, and those that do not conform to what is regarded as "human" within a society and accordingly count as "ungrievable".
Subsequently, this paper analyzes the specific ways in which newspapers contribute to the construction of "grievable" and "ungrievable" life by looking at how the media report disastrous events such as the suicide bombings in London on July 7, 2005. Drawing on the proposed analytical framework by Tal Morse, this paper systematically examines the precise ways in which the media representation of the London bombings had a significant influence on the construction of ‘grievable’ and ‘non-grievable’ lives and the act of public mourning. However, due to limited space, this paper focuses only on UK newspapers that have national coverage and investigates reports of the London bombings in selected media, which are considered representative for the extensive reporting of this terror attack.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. GRIEVABLE AND UNGRIEVABLE LIFE
2.1. Humanness as a cultural construct
2.2. Public mourning
3. ANALYSIS OF SELECTED UK NEWSPAPERS
3.1. The Guardian
3.1.1. Reconstruction of (in)humanness of the dead
3.1.2. Construction of shared time and place
3.1.3. Production of a witnessable account
3.2. The Daily Mail
3.2.1. Reconstruction of (in)humanness of the dead
3.2.2. Construction of shared time and place
3.2.3. Production of a witnessable account
3.3. The ‚press rite’ of media coverage
4. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives & Core Themes
This paper examines how mass media frames the differentiation between 'grievable' and 'ungrievable' lives, specifically focusing on the reporting of the 2005 London bombings in UK newspapers. By applying Judith Butler’s theoretical framework of grievability and Tal Morse’s analytical model, the study investigates how media representations construct public mourning and influence social perceptions of the victim versus the 'other'.
- Judith Butler’s concept of grievable vs. ungrievable lives.
- The construction of humanness through media narratives.
- The impact of collective trauma and shared spatio-temporal experiences.
- Comparative analysis of The Guardian and The Daily Mail.
- The role of "witnessable accounts" in fostering empathy and social solidarity.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
Media has undeniably taken a highly important role in today’s rapidly changing and globally networked world. It allows for a fast exchange of information, worldwide interconnection as well as a deeper human connection. However, regardless of the beneficial functions media fulfills, it is also important to consider the significant impact media has on shaping public opinions as well as the perception of reality. Especially news media has an immense influence on the construction of widely spread concepts and ideas, as they reach a large audience and are (mostly) considered a reliable source of information. Therefore, it seems all the more important to critically reflect upon the medially conveyed thoughts and images, and the associated implications on society.
Based on the understanding of media as a powerful institution that substantially affects our notion of happenings around us, this paper looks into the highly significant impacts of media on the human thinking and behavior in regard to whom and how we mourn. In particular, the aim of this paper is to demonstrate the constructed differentiation between ‘grievable’ and ‘ungrievable’ lives in mass media coverage following the terrorist attacks on July 7, 2005, in London. Drawing on Judith Butler’s works Precarious Life and Frames of War, the notion of grievability and the culturally determined framing of humanness are discussed at first. Thus, this paper depicts the global divide between lives that are considered ‘human’ and, therefore, grievable, and those that do not conform to what is regarded as ‘human’ within a society and accordingly count as ‘ungrievable’.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the significance of media in shaping public perception and establishes the research goal of analyzing the dichotomy of grievability in the aftermath of the 2005 London bombings.
2. GRIEVABLE AND UNGRIEVABLE LIFE: Explores the theoretical foundation based on Judith Butler, defining the distinction between lives recognized as human and those excluded from public mourning.
3. ANALYSIS OF SELECTED UK NEWSPAPERS: Provides a detailed case study of The Guardian and The Daily Mail, applying the three procedures of mediatized grievability: construction of humanness, spatio-temporal commonality, and witnessable accounts.
4. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes findings to confirm that media representations reinforce social unity by framing innocent victims as grievable while isolating perpetrators as inhuman 'others'.
Keywords
Grievability, London bombings, Judith Butler, Public mourning, Mass media, UK newspapers, The Guardian, Daily Mail, Humanness, Social solidarity, Terror, Witnessable account, Media framing, 7/7 attacks, Collective experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The work investigates the ways in which UK newspapers reported the 2005 London bombings to influence which lives were perceived as 'grievable' and which were marginalized as 'ungrievable'.
What are the central themes of the study?
Key themes include the societal construction of humanness, the politics of public mourning, the influence of media as a powerful institution, and the reinforcement of national identity through crisis reporting.
What is the central research question?
The paper asks how mass media differentiates between victims and perpetrators to construct a divide between lives worthy of mourning and those deemed inhuman or outside the moral community.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The author utilizes a qualitative media analysis based on the analytical framework developed by Tal Morse, specifically examining front pages and online coverage from The Guardian and The Daily Mail.
What content is covered in the main section?
The main section analyzes how newspapers construct the 'humanness' of the dead, establish a shared sense of time and place for the audience, and produce 'witnessable accounts' through personal stories and iconic imagery.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Essential keywords include Grievability, Public mourning, Media framing, 2005 London bombings, and Mediatized death.
How does the media use images to shape grievability?
The study notes that newspapers prioritize specific visual imagery, such as the iconic photo of the bus at Tavistock Square, to create a sense of shared reality and urgent collective experience.
How are the suicide bombers portrayed in the newspapers?
Perpetrators are portrayed as 'others' who represent an external threat, often through 'bomber profiles' that emphasize their 'double lives' to dissociate them from the 'civilized' British community.
- Citation du texte
- Anonym (Auteur), 2018, How Does Media Frame Grievability? The London Bombings on July 7, 2005, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/509917
