Risk exam - humanitarian section

humanitarian communication

use of dialogue to mobilize action and protect crisis-effected communities

humanitarian vs HR discourse

humanitarian: linked to religious concerns, alleviating suffering and helping those in need. empathy, philanthropy, activism

HR: linked to political concerns and social justice. guarantee and protect rights

secular humanism

individual potential and right of every person to determine own destiny; free will

humanitarian interventionism

use of military force against another state justified as protecting/freeing people; causes unintended harm and is cover-up for geopolitical agenda

Philhellenism

struggle for Greek indepndence, and prevent Russia from assuming political control over Greece and the Balkans

humanitarian law originated to:

set limits on violence

turning point in humanitarian thinking and practice

Biafaran War which ruined public image of International Red Cross because doctors were forced to stay silent during ongoing genocide

when did importance of NGOs grow?

between 70s/80s

new vs. old humanitarian approach

new: HR, development and conflict prevention

old: need and neutrality

mediatization

helps build legitimacy and attract fundraising resources, imagery

a catalyst for viewers is

suffering; people feel empathy or gratitude; ethical discourse

ethical discourse

doing things because they’re moved to do it or it’s the right thing to do

new humanitarianism

shift focus from aid to individual suffering

compassion fatigue

declining emotional responsiveness, reduced attention to humanitarian messaging, avoid distressing content

reasons for compassion fatigue:

media saturation, crisis overload, recurring imagery, and lack of impact

effects of compassion fatigue:

moral disengagement, scroll past, erosion of trust and normalizing of suffering

compassion fatigue is not ________

psychological, but produced by media

how to reduce compassion fatigue:

personalization, actionability, foster social solidarity not pity

intimacy at a distance

portrayed as people emotionally close to us, highlights distance that humanitarian communication wants to reduce

evolution of humanitarianism

needs to rights

relief assistance to protection

no profit, no harm as communication

what should be prioritized during communication strategies?

credibility and relationship, not media impact

why does disinformation regarding humanitarian news get posted?

to undermine credibility of NGOs and victims

misinformation reduces trust

why are humanitarian orgs targeted?

government sees their activities as interference in domestic affairs

NGOs collect data, attacked by personal leaders to limit spread of info to not damage their reputation

humanitarian orgs receive funding that may be seen as instruments of external influence

since they’re providers of service and support, could be seen as competitors for authority and people want to weaken them

disinformation effects

delays aid delivery, increase distrust, confusion and hostility

racial hoaxes

false, misleading stories targeting migrants, refugees and minorities to spread fear

rely on stereotypes and prejudices

repetition, emotional reactions and sharing

anti-immigrant narratives

different types of racial hoaxes

health-related, economic-related, and crime-related

what has become a powerful weapon for politicians and governments?

disinformation

“refugee crisis” of 2015

EU in crisis; weakness of immigration policies, NGOS activities were repressed to discourage support for migrants

Italy relationship with NGOs

conducted judicial investigation to find ties to mafia or human traffickers

“Italians” first and closed ports

examples of fear-based metaphors

waves, floods, invasions

framing of immigration and impact on NGOs

national emergency requiring strong measures; NGOs become symbols of threat and scapegoats

improper distance

describes problematic relationship between people who witness suffering and those who suffer

agonistic solidarity

standing with people because you recognize their struggles and honor that responsbility; critical judgment and empathy

post-humanitarianism

appeals more to people’s personal values and choices than feelings of pity

humanitarian securitization

humanitarian issues treated as security threats, focus on protection and control rather than aid and care

narrated border

media representations and official discourse

enacted border

everyday practices, interactions, and policies

mediatization

media strongly structures how we perceive things

remediation

movement of content from digital platform to mainstream media; reach national/international audience

intermediation

communication across different digital platforms horizontally connect actor coordination

transmediation

interaction between online communication and offline encounters; how migrants and authorities interact face-to-face

Mare Nostro example as narrated border

media campaigns present Italy as military protector and humanitarian savior

dual framework/coexistence of care and control:

migrants - helpless victims/potential threats

military - heroic and compassionate

Greece example as enacted border

reality of migrant reception are not like official narratives

migrants are excluded from communication and decision-making

consequence of narrated and enacted borders

unequal power relations; invisibility of exclusion in representation and hierarchy

benevolent subjection

system that appears caring/humane while controlling, filtering and excluding

mediatized border + violence

doesn’t eliminate it, just restructures it into normalized form

traditional vs new humanitarian campaigns

traditional: relied on pity, guilt, empathy, moral obligation, emotional intensity to bridge distance

new: humanitarian causes presented in similar ways to products because of competitive media environment where attention is scarce

crisis of pity

declining effectiveness of emotion-based appeals in motivating action, audience doesn’t respond to suffering since repetition felt insincere and weakened force

shock effect campaign

graphic and realistic images to provoke strong emotional reaction; urgency and immediate action

logic of complicity

viewers made to feel responsible/guilty for suffering; discomfort, guilt and shame meant to motivate action

2 ways effectiveness of shock campaigns was reduced

bystander effect: audience feels overwhelmed and unable to act

boomerang effect: reject message to not be manipulated/guilt-tripped

positive image campaign

victims are active participants in own development, empowering representation of suffering, engagement seems less emotionally overwhelming

issues with positive image campaigns

• simplify complex global problems by focusing on individual success story rather than systemic inequalities

• present development as linear process, but aid doesn’t automatically lead to progress

• less urgency to act

  • suffering becomes normalized/distant

misrecognition

the way positive campaigns hide/soften power inequalities between donors and recipients [unequal power relations]

ex. Western donors are benevolent helpers and recipients are thankful

similarities between shock and positive image campaigns

• rely heavily on emotional appeals and idea that strong feelings lead to action which is not always true

  • repeated exposure leads to fatigue and disengagement

examples of post-humanitarianism implementation

online donations, petitions, no long term commitments, speed and convenience

negative impact of post-humanitarianism examples

superficial participation, short-term and minimal, campaigns rely more on branding

communication is important for

relationship-building, credibility, consistency, promote active participation

differences between humanitarian and social communication:

humanitarian: build visibility, grab media attention, competitive, main objective = fundraising

social: long-term relationship, collaborative, promote rights, main objective = social advancement

social communication

promotes rights

social solidarity

attempts to improve lives of those suffering; sense of connection

main tool of PR

press release because informational, answer all questions, promote the organization BUT press conference more important because requires recognizable speakers and a time