Compassion fatigue : how the media sell disease, famine, war, and death

Hailed as a 'great accomplishment' by the Philadelphia Inquirer , Susan Moeller's Compassion Fatigue warns that the American media threatens our ability to understand the world around us. Why do the media cover the world in the way that they do? Are they simply following the marketplace demand for tabloid-style international news? Or are they creating an audience that has seen too much - or too little - to care? Through a series of case studies of the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse' - disease, famine, death and war - Moeller investigates how newspapers, newsmagazines and television have covered international crises over the last two decades, identifying the ruts into which the media have fallen and revealing why. From outbreaks of the flesh eating viruses Ebola and Strep A, to death camps in Bosnia and massacres in Rwanda, the media seem to careen from one trauma to another, in a breathless tour of poverty, disease and death. First we're horrified, but each time they turn up the pitch, show us one image more hideous than the next, it gets harder and harder to feel. Meet compassion fatigue--a modern syndrome, Susan Moeller argues, that results from formulaic media coverage, sensationalized language and overly Americanized metaphors.

In her impassioned new book, Compassion Fatigue, Moeller warns that the American media threatens our ability to understand the world around us. Why do the media cover the world in the way that they do? Are they simply following the marketplace demand for tabloid-style international news? Or are they creating an audience that has seen too much--or too little--to care? Through a series of case studies of the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"--disease, famine, death and war--Moeller investigates how newspapers, newsmagazines and television have covered international crises over the last two decades, identifying the ruts into which the media have fallen and revealing why.

Throughout, we hear from industry insiders who tell of the chilling effect of the mega-media mergers, the tyranny of the bottom-line hunt for profits, and the decline of the American attention span as they struggle to both tell and sell a story. But Moeller is insistent that the media need not, and should not, be run like any other business. The media have a special responsibility to the public, and when they abdicate this responsibility and the public lapses into a compassion fatigue stupor, we become a public at great danger to ourselves.

From outbreaks of the flesh eating viruses Ebola and Strep A, to death camps in Bosnia and massacres in Rwanda, the media seem to careen from one trauma to another, in a breathless tour of poverty, disease and death. First we're horrified, but each time they turn up the pitch, show us one image more hideous than the next, it gets harder and harder to feel. Meet compassion fatigue--a modern syndrome, Susan Moeller argues, that results from formulaic media coverage, sensationalized language and overly Americanized metaphors. In her impassioned new book, Compassion Fatigue, Moeller warns that the American media threatens our ability to understand the world around us. Why do the media cover the world in the way that they do? Are they simply following the marketplace demand for tabloid-style international news? Or are they creating an audience that as seen too much--or too little--to care? Through a series of case studies of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse--disease, famine, death and war--Moeller investigates how newspapers, newsmagazines and television have covered international crises over the last two decades, identifying the ruts into which the media have fallen and revealing why. Throughout, we hear from industry insiders who tell of the chilling effect of the mega- media mergers, the tyranny of the bottom-line hunt for profits, and the decline of the American attention span as they struggle to both tell and sell a story. But Moeller is insistent that the media need not, and should not, be run like any other business. The media have a special responsibility to the public, and when they abdicate this responsibility and the public lapses into a compassion fatigue stupor, we become a public at great danger to ourselves. Hailed As Great Accomplishment By The Philadelphia Inquirer, Susan Moeller's Compassion Fatigue Warns That The American Media Threaten Our Ability To Understand The World Around Us. Why Do The Media Cover The World In The Way That They Do? Are They Simply Following The Marketplace Demand For Tabloid-style International News? Or Are They Creating An Audience That Has Seen Too Much -- Or Too Little -- To Care? Through A Series Of Case Studies Of The 'four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse--disease, Famine, Death And War -- Moeller Investigates How Newspapers, Newsmagazines And Television Have Covered International Crises Over The Last Two Decades, Identifying The Ruts Into Which The Media Have Fallen And Revealing Why. Throughout, We Hear From Industry Insiders Who Tell Of The Chilling Effect Of The Mega-media Mergers, The Tyranny Of The Bottomline Hunt For Profits, And The Decline Of The American Attention Span As They Struggle To Both Tell And Sell A Story. But Moeller Is Insistent That The Media Need Not, And Should Not, Be Run Like Any Other Business. The Media Have A Special Responsibility To The Public, And When They Abdicate This Responsibility And The Public Lapses Into A Compassion Fatigue Stupor, We Become A Public At Great Danger To Ourselves. Compassion Fatigue -- Covering Pestilence: Sensationalizing Epidemic Disease -- Mad Cows And Englishmen -- Ebola -- Covering Famine: The Famine Formula -- Ethiopia -- Sudan And Somalia -- Covering Death: The Americanization Of Assassinations -- Covering War: Getting Graphic About Genocide -- Conclusion. Susan D. Moeller. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [323]-372) And Index. In her impassioned new book, Compassion Fatigue, Susan Moeller warns that the American media threaten our ability to understand the world around us. Why do the media cover the world in the way that they do? Are they simply following the marketplace demand for tabloid-style international news? Or are they creating an audience that has seen too much - or too little - to care? Through a series of studies of the "four horsemen of the Apocalypse" - disease, famine, war and death - Moeller investigate how newspapers, newsmagazines and television have covered international crises over the last two decades, identifying the ruts into which the media have fallen - and revealing why. Cultural Studies Book Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 5 Introduction: Riding with the Four Horsemen 10 Compassion Fatigue 16 Covering Pestilence: Sensationalizing Epidemic Disease 64 Covering Famine: The Famine Formula 106 Covering Death: The Americanization of Assassinations 166 Covering War: Getting Graphic About Genocide 230 Conclusion 318 Notes 332 Acknowledgments 382 Index 386 Susan D. Moeller asks why international news has become tabloid in style and light on content - is this a response to audience demands, or does it create a particular sort of audience, one which has seen too much to care? First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.