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Savages, Victims, Saviours: A comparative textual analysis of media framing of the Rohingya crisis by The New York Times and The Global New Light of Myanmar between 2017-08-01 and 2017-09-30

Dudonyte, Migle LU (2019) UTVK03 20191
Sociology
Abstract
The successive waves of violence since May 2012, have put Myanmar in the international spotlight. The crisis in the Rakhine state has quickly become a global concern broadly discussed in the media. This paper examines how the Rohingya crisis is framed in Burmese and Western news media agencies by comparing the media coverage by The Global New Light of Myanmar and The New York Times between 2017-08-01 and 2017-09-30. In doing so, the study identifies and examines the main social and political actors playing a role in the triangular conflict between Rohingya Muslims, Rakhine Buddhists, and the government of Myanmar. The research is conducted using framing strategies and guided by Mutua’s savage-victim-saviour framework. The results reveal... (More)
The successive waves of violence since May 2012, have put Myanmar in the international spotlight. The crisis in the Rakhine state has quickly become a global concern broadly discussed in the media. This paper examines how the Rohingya crisis is framed in Burmese and Western news media agencies by comparing the media coverage by The Global New Light of Myanmar and The New York Times between 2017-08-01 and 2017-09-30. In doing so, the study identifies and examines the main social and political actors playing a role in the triangular conflict between Rohingya Muslims, Rakhine Buddhists, and the government of Myanmar. The research is conducted using framing strategies and guided by Mutua’s savage-victim-saviour framework. The results reveal the emergence of two different sets of actors, the Rohingya being a link between them. The news media in Myanmar has, in general, depicted the Rohingya people as a homogenous, active group of perpetrators who threaten the system, while the U.S. media has framed them as a passive and helpless group of victims whose human rights have been heavily violated. The analysis draws a very important conclusion that by focusing entirely on the Rohingya, the media in the West overshadows other suffering minorities in Myanmar. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Dudonyte, Migle LU
supervisor
organization
course
UTVK03 20191
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
language
English
id
8994368
date added to LUP
2019-09-10 10:32:50
date last changed
2019-09-10 10:32:50
@misc{8994368,
  abstract     = {{The successive waves of violence since May 2012, have put Myanmar in the international spotlight. The crisis in the Rakhine state has quickly become a global concern broadly discussed in the media. This paper examines how the Rohingya crisis is framed in Burmese and Western news media agencies by comparing the media coverage by The Global New Light of Myanmar and The New York Times between 2017-08-01 and 2017-09-30. In doing so, the study identifies and examines the main social and political actors playing a role in the triangular conflict between Rohingya Muslims, Rakhine Buddhists, and the government of Myanmar. The research is conducted using framing strategies and guided by Mutua’s savage-victim-saviour framework. The results reveal the emergence of two different sets of actors, the Rohingya being a link between them. The news media in Myanmar has, in general, depicted the Rohingya people as a homogenous, active group of perpetrators who threaten the system, while the U.S. media has framed them as a passive and helpless group of victims whose human rights have been heavily violated. The analysis draws a very important conclusion that by focusing entirely on the Rohingya, the media in the West overshadows other suffering minorities in Myanmar.}},
  author       = {{Dudonyte, Migle}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Savages, Victims, Saviours: A comparative textual analysis of media framing of the Rohingya crisis by The New York Times and The Global New Light of Myanmar between 2017-08-01 and 2017-09-30}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}