1. Compassion Fatigue and the Famine Formula The Horn of Africa, 2011

2. Compassion Fatigue: Analysts of journalism argue that the media has caused widespread compassion fatigue in society by saturating newspapers and news shows with often decontextualized images and stories of suffering This has caused the public to become cynical, or become resistant to helping people who are suffering.

3. The Image as Message Image as metonym – part stands in for the whole Single image seen to explain the whole event This is especially the case with “atrocity pictures”

4. Simple, iconic images of famine – distilling down the story Personifications that help to explain events, with victims, heroes, and villains

5. Images can have a didactic function, serve to focus the audience’s attention But this attention is not sustained, is short-term What effect do these images have on audiences?

6. Simple images lend to simple conclusions about the causes of famine Contribute to causes of famine being attributed to nature “Simple emergency” Natural disaster

7. But what if famine is a “complex emergency”? The natural versus the human-made Complex causes such as war, economic breakdown

8. Examples of other “complex emergencies” linked to famine 1941–44 Leningrad (Today’s St. Petersburg) famine Caused by a 900-day blockade by German troops during WWII About one million Leningrad residents starved, froze, or were bombed to death in the winter of 1941–42, when supply routes to the city were cut off and temperatures dropped to −40 degrees

9. News –values “If it bleeds, it leads” Scott Bob, Somalia 1992 “My editor wants us to get the sounds of death” Framing the emergency in particular ways

10. Media Structures Famines happen to Others Stereotyped images Stock phrases Common abstractions Reinforcing established ways of interpreting news Drawing on reserves of stories already told

11. The Famine Formula 1. People must be starving to death 2. Causes and solutions must be simplified 3. Famine story told as morality play between good and evil 4. There must be images

12. The 4-Stage Chronological Pattern 1. The famine is imminent 2. Progression of starvation 3. Precipitating event leads to moral call-to- action 4. If no other major international or national event takes its place in popular imaginary, then becomes cultural and moral bellwether (frontrunner, leader)

13. Victims Women and children Rarely given voice, but are often photographed Images of innocence

14. Heroes Generally Western Intervene to provide humanitarian aid Eg. Medecins Sans Frontieres Doctors, nurses, aid workers Given extensive voice in coverage

15. Villains Those who prevent humanitarian aid from being distributed Eg. “Warlords” Villains become more a part of the story as it unfolds

16. The “Archetypical Famine” Ethiopia, 1984 Several years of drought Domestic priorities Mengistu Haile Mariam leader of government 46% of national budget spent on arms Decade earlier, overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie Estimated that between 400,000 and one million people died

17. The Media Influence Brian Stewart CBC Ethiopia 1984 http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=tFPr- zAXNuc http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=tFPr- zAXNuc Brian Stewart on Birhan Woldu, 2004 www.cbc.ca/news/back ground/ethiopia www.cbc.ca/news/back ground/ethiopia

18. Michel Buerk BBC report on the famine in Ethiopia 1984 http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=mj2jf0US8z I http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=mj2jf0US8z I

19. “Maybe one of the most important and influential pieces of news ever broadcasted.” Buerk's autobiography says it made the Australian PM weep in public and started a massive international aid operation

20. Popular Culture Responds to the Crisis Also inspired Bob Geldof (with Midge Ure from Ultravox) to write “Do They Know It’s Christmas”, released 7 December 1984 http://www.youtube.com /watch?v=w5cX_ncZLls http://www.youtube.com /watch?v=w5cX_ncZLls The fastest selling single ever Raised ₤8 million

21. Inspired USA for Africa’s “We are the World.” http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=M9BNoNFK CBI http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=M9BNoNFK CBI

22. Live Aid 13 July 1985 2 simultaneous concerts Wembley Stadium, London, UK – approximately 72,000 people JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, US – approximately 100,000 people

23. The Communication Link Large scale satellite links and live TV broadcasts mean watched by a global audience in 150 nations of an estimated 1.9 million people At one stage, claim that 95% of all TVs were tuned in Imagine making this happen in the time before Twitter, cell phones, etc.

24. Joan Baez, on stage in US: “This is your Woodstock and it is long overdue.”

25. Show Me the Money Geldof had hoped to raise ₤1 million (around $2.4 million US) Actually raised ₤150 million Acts include (UK) U2, Queen, The Who, Paul McCartney and (US) Madonna, Bob Dylan, CSNY, Ozzy Osborne

26. Somalia Famine of 1992

27. Live 8 Make Poverty History Snap UK Ad http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=nFx9cINLQ oc http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=nFx9cINLQ oc US AD http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=3mJU58A9 SNc&feature=related http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=3mJU58A9 SNc&feature=related

28. Famine Today Horn of Africa – including Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan – 2011 Said to be the most widespread in 25 years http://www.one.org/c/i nternational/hottopic/4 060/ http://www.one.org/c/i nternational/hottopic/4 060/

29. 2011 The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity (US) http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=dzcRSr6PW _o http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=dzcRSr6PW _o one.org http://www.one.org/int ernational/ http://www.one.org/int ernational/

30. Compare and Contrast Live Aid Live 8