Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage
Abstract In 2017, the long-festering discriminatory treatment to the Rohingyas in Myanmar, both in law and practice, resulted in the largest cross-border humanitarian crisis in Asia. During the 2016‑2017 Rohingya refugee crisis, the aerial shots of burnt villages and images of people trudging toward...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of International Humanitarian Action |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-021-00108-5 |
| _version_ | 1819014885601705984 |
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| author | Michelle J. Lee |
| author_facet | Michelle J. Lee |
| author_sort | Michelle J. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract In 2017, the long-festering discriminatory treatment to the Rohingyas in Myanmar, both in law and practice, resulted in the largest cross-border humanitarian crisis in Asia. During the 2016‑2017 Rohingya refugee crisis, the aerial shots of burnt villages and images of people trudging toward the horizon in search of refuge in neighboring nations dominated the Western media. However, for humanitarians, the question of whether the media helps with humanitarian crises remains complicated and unclear. This study examines the effects of media coverage on the Rohingya refugee crisis based on articles from two liberal, elite newspaper sources, The New York Times and The Guardian between 2010 and 2020. The study reveals that the attempts of international pressure to stop the crisis have increased through media coverage and political pressures; however, the number of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar intensified due to worsening violence and human rights violations committed by the Myanmar army. Findings are discussed using the lens of cultural and ideological context. The study suggests that in Myanmar, where authoritarian military culture is pervasive, there is a limited influence of the international press on the state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population and questions whether consistent international pressure could have changed the outcome. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:22:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c17d668c4aa406197172bf6737e6e8b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2364-3412 2364-3404 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:22:57Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of International Humanitarian Action |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c17d668c4aa406197172bf6737e6e8b2022-12-21T19:19:04ZengSpringerOpenJournal of International Humanitarian Action2364-34122364-34042021-10-016111110.1186/s41018-021-00108-5Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverageMichelle J. Lee0Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia UniversityAbstract In 2017, the long-festering discriminatory treatment to the Rohingyas in Myanmar, both in law and practice, resulted in the largest cross-border humanitarian crisis in Asia. During the 2016‑2017 Rohingya refugee crisis, the aerial shots of burnt villages and images of people trudging toward the horizon in search of refuge in neighboring nations dominated the Western media. However, for humanitarians, the question of whether the media helps with humanitarian crises remains complicated and unclear. This study examines the effects of media coverage on the Rohingya refugee crisis based on articles from two liberal, elite newspaper sources, The New York Times and The Guardian between 2010 and 2020. The study reveals that the attempts of international pressure to stop the crisis have increased through media coverage and political pressures; however, the number of Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar intensified due to worsening violence and human rights violations committed by the Myanmar army. Findings are discussed using the lens of cultural and ideological context. The study suggests that in Myanmar, where authoritarian military culture is pervasive, there is a limited influence of the international press on the state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population and questions whether consistent international pressure could have changed the outcome.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-021-00108-5RohingyaRefugeesNews mediaHumanitarian interventionForeign policyGenocide |
| spellingShingle | Michelle J. Lee Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage Journal of International Humanitarian Action Rohingya Refugees News media Humanitarian intervention Foreign policy Genocide |
| title | Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage |
| title_full | Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage |
| title_fullStr | Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage |
| title_full_unstemmed | Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage |
| title_short | Media influence on humanitarian interventions: analysis of the Rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage |
| title_sort | media influence on humanitarian interventions analysis of the rohingya refugee crisis and international media coverage |
| topic | Rohingya Refugees News media Humanitarian intervention Foreign policy Genocide |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41018-021-00108-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michellejlee mediainfluenceonhumanitarianinterventionsanalysisoftherohingyarefugeecrisisandinternationalmediacoverage |