Media Framing and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage: Artsakh and Gaza

Analyzing media coverage in cases where cultural heritage sites have been destroyed during conflict, occupation, and war, "Media Framing and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage" highlights the important role media play in the preservation of cultural heritage when states or other combatants engage in human rights violations.

Ms. Mischa Geracoulis—a human rights journalist and critical media literacy expert—illuminates the role that digital and legacy news reporting, investigative journalism, social media, literature, film and other art forms play in social consciousness and discourse.

She argues that accurate reporting is critical particularly when vulnerable populations face mostly tendentious actors among international governmental and non-governmental bodies unwilling to acknowledge endangered heritages on indigenous lands.

"Media Framing and the Destruction of Cultural Heritage" examines the media coverage, language, and discourse surrounding two key situations—the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Artsakh/ Nagorno-Karabakh and that of Palestinian cultural heritage in Gaza—and explores the ways media coverage has succeeded or failed in accurately illustrating the destruction of cultural heritage as a human rights violation.

This book will be of interest to students and scholars of media, journalism, and cultural studies, as well as media professionals, human rights advocates and legislators interested in the role and influence of media framing and narratives on war, conflict, human rights, and humanitarian response.

Author Geracoulis is a human rights journalist and critical media literacy expert. She is Managing Editor at the media watch and education organization Project Censored and its publishing imprint The Censored Press. Mischa is a contributor to Project Censored’s State of the Free Press yearbook series, a Project Judge and also serves on the editorial board of The Markaz Review.