BRENNA MICKEY COM 564 Western Media Framing the Kosovo Conflict

Media framing shapes the social construction of reality and provides a conceptual and theoretical framework for analyzing the news content Framing is an unavoidable part of the process of choosing what aspect of reality to describe and how to describe it. DID THE U.S. MEDIA REFLECT THE REALITY OF THE KOSOVO WAR IN AN OBJECTIVE MANNER? - J. KE

Kosovo History Overveiw After the First World War, Kosovo was integrated into Yugoslavia as a province of Serbia. 90% of Kosovars are ethnically Albanian and speak Albanian, having a strong brotherhood with them. Kosovar Albanians began an uprising against Serbia for freedom and Serbian military, led by Slobodan Milosevic, responded with an ethnic cleansing. Over 800,000 Kosovar Albanians fled from Kosovo, 20,000 are still missing or presumed dead. NATO intervened with an airstrike and occupation of Kosovo, resulting in a ceasefire on June 5, 1999. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, 108/193 countries in the U.N. recognize Kosovo as a country A HISTORIC INTERVENTION: THE US IN KOSOVO

Framing Techniques by the U.S. Media in the Kosovo War Theme Comparison Wording Imagery

Theme in the Frame The best way to determine how citizens use frames to comprehend political issues is to examine what makes certain frames successful. A good frame is the heart of the story MAKING SENSE OF ISSUES THROUGH MEDIA FRAMES: UNDERSTANDING THE KOSOVO CRISIS - KINDER & BRINKSEY

Comparison in the Frame I never could have imagined that when the time finally came for him [Wiesel] to stand in this spot and to reflect on the past century and the future to come, that we would be seeing children in Kosovo crowded into trains, separated from families, separated from their homes, robbed of their childhoods, their memories, their humanity. It is something that causes all of us to pause and reflecthow could all this be happening once again at the end of this century? KOSOVO AND THE METAPHOR WAR - R. PARIS - HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON

Comparison in the Frame Nazis Hitler Jews Serbs Milosevic Kosovars KOSOVO AND THE METAPHOR WAR - R. PARIS

Wording in the Frame Frames do not need to present strong arguments for one side or another in order to change public opinion. Small subtle differences in the presentation of information can sometimes do the trick. MAKING SENSE OF ISSUES THROUGH MEDIA FRAMES: UNDERSTANDING THE KOSOVO CRISIS - KINDER & BRINKSEY

Wording in the Frame Albanians and Kosovars, Balkans and Muslims, Serbs and Yugoslavians often overlapped in the language that was reported, resulting in a culturally blended and incorrect representation of various groups of people. MEDIA AND WAR EVENTS: THE INFLUENCE OF MEDIA INFOR- MATION ABOUT THE KOSOVO WAR - P. LALLI

Imagery in the Frame The media tends to rely on familiar imagery, sometimes blatantly stereotyping cultures so that the audiences have something to relate to. WEEPING WOMEN, WRINGING HANDS: HOW THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA STEREOTYPED WOMENS EXPERIENCES IN KOSOVO - A. DEL ZOTTO

Imagery in the Frame http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/balkans/perkinsguzy/guzy_54.html Carol Guzy, Washington Post Border of Albania & Kosovo Pulitzer Prize 1999

Conclusion While Western media framed the Kosovo War, whether it was through the theme, in comparison, language or imagery, it was all to help Westerners understand the occurrences more clearly in this exotic country. WESTERN MEDIA FRAMING THE KOSOVO CONFLICT -B. MICKEY