Abstract

RODRIGUEZ, SANDRA MILENA. Reporting on Victims of Violence: Press Coverage of the Extrajudicial Killings in Colombia. Signo pensam. [online]. 2012, vol.31, n.60, pp.186-213. ISSN 0120-4823.

This research examines El Tiempo’s coverage of the extrajudicial killings in Colombia and in a wider context the media coverage of violence. The literature found in this dissertation suggests that the way in which media report on victims of violence can either harm or help their healing process. The content analysis of one year coverage on the extrajudicial killings in Colombia shows that institutionalized voices, for instance official viewpoints are privileged sources of information; moreover the use of journalistic structures such as writing style and news values prevent the victims and their relative's testimonies to be heard and exposed to the society. Several challenges are posed when reporting on conflict and victims of violence, therefore media organizations and media workers are encouraged to critically reflect on their own practice in order to report on victims and trauma in a humane and transformative way.

Keywords : Media and conflict; Media coverage of victims and trauma; Content analysis of newspapers; Colombian media systems; humanistic story of victims; Colombia; Newspaper reports; Colombia - Violence; Colombia -- Chronicles.

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