THE MEDIA IN THE INCITEMENT AND PREVENTION OF GENOCIDEFRANK CHALK CONCORDIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF HISTORYAND THEMONTREAL INSTITUTE FOR GENOCIDE AND HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES

MOTIVES FOR GENOCIDETHE CHALK-JONASSOHN TYPOLOGYTO ELIMINATE A REAL OR POTENTIAL THREATTO SPREAD TERROR AMONG ENEMIESTO ACQUIRE ECONOMIC WEALTHTO IMPLEMENT A BELIEF, THEORY OR IDEOLOGY

UTILITARIAN GENOCIDESPERPETRATORS SEIZED BY THE FIRST THREE MOTIVES FOR GENOCIDE--SEEKING TO ELIMINATE A REAL OR POTENTIAL THREAT SPREAD TERROR AMONG ENEMIESACQUIRE ECONOMIC WEALTH ARE HIGHLY PRACTICAL AND UTILITARIANTHEY OFTEN PRODUCE TANGIBLE GAINS FOR THEIR NATIONALS, ALTHOUGH AT GREAT COST

GENOCIDES MOTIVATED BY IDEOLOGYPERPETRATOR SEEKING A PERFECT FUTURE INSPIRED BY ETHNO-NATIONALIST, UTOPIAN OR RACIST GOALS THE PERPETRATOR MUST DEMONIZE THE VICTIM GROUP, EXCLUDING ITS MEMBERS FROM THE UNIVERSE OF MUTUAL OBLIGATION AS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE GENOCIDE TO FOLLOWIDEOLOGICALLY-MOTIVATED GENOCIDES PRODUCE FEW MATERIAL BENEFITS FOR THE NATIONALS OF THE PERPETRATING NATION

THE MOTIVES OF PERPETRATORS INFLUENCE THE SIGNIFICANCE AND EXTENT OF MEDIA USEPERPETRATORS OF IDEOLOGICALLY-MOTIVATED GENOCIDES RELY MORE ON THE MASS MEDIA AS AN INSTRUMENT OF MOBILIZATION THAN PERPETRATORS OF UTILITARIAN GENOCIDES

THE MEDIA PLAY A SMALLER ROLE IN UTILITARIAN GENOCIDESPERPETRATORS OF UTILITARIAN GENOCIDES CAN CALL ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL ARMED FORCES OR MILITIASTHEY ARE LESS RELIANT ON MASS MOBILIZATIONS OF THE CIVILIAN POPULATION TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR DOMESTIC GOALS

MEDIA USE IN IDEOLOGICALLY-MOTIVATED GENOCIDESAIM: DEMONIZE THE VICTIM GROUP BY ENGENDERING FEAR, HATRED AND VIOLENCEMETHOD: SUSTAINED PROPAGANDA TO MOBILIZE VIOLENCE AGAINST THE VICTIMS ON A GRAND SCALETECHNIQUE: INTENSIVELY SPREAD ELIMINATIONIST HATE PROPAGANDA AND DISINFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE GENERAL POPULATION TO REINFORCE MOTIVATING BELIEFS

INDOCTRINATING WILLING EXECUTIONERSGENOCIDE IS PREPARED WITH PROPAGANDA, A BOMBARDMENT OF LIES AND HATRED DIRECTED AGAINST THE TARGETED GROUP, AND AIMED AT PREPARING THE WILLING EXECUTIONERS FOR THE ATROCIOUS TASKS THEY WILL BE ASKED TO PERFORM. PROF. WILLIAM SCHABAS

RESULTS OF PROPAGANDAIN IDEOLOGICALLY-MOTIVATED GENOCIDES, IDEOLOGY AND PROPAGANDA ARE SYNERGISTICALLY EMPLOYED TO CREATE PANIC-FEARPROPAGANDA LEADS ORDINARY PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THEY ARE KILLING DEFENSIVELY TO PRESERVE THEIR LIVES, TRADITIONAL RIGHTS, AND PROPERTY, IMPERILED BY THREATENING GROUPSKILLING VICTIMS IS ACCEPTED AS THE ONLY SOLUTION

PROPAGANDA AND EARLY WARNINGIT IS THIS OPEN, MASS MOBILIZATION OF THE POPULATION BY THE MEDIA THROUGH PUBIC ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE PEOPLE TO ENDORSE AND JOIN IN STATE-SUPPORTED CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND GENOCIDE THAT AIDS US IN THE PREDICTION AND EARLY WARNING OF IDEOLOGICALLY-MOTIVATED GENOCIDE

THE MEDIA OF MASS COMMUNICATIONS TODAYTRADITIONAL PRINTED NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND JOURNALSELECTRONIC MEDIARADIOTELEVISIONTHE INTERNET

WEALTH AND THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN SHAPING PUBLIC ATTITUDESTHE PRINT MEDIA, TELEVISION AND THE INTERNET PREDOMINATE IN THE WEALTHIER NATIONS RADIO IS THE MEDIUM OF CHOICE FOR SHAPING AND REINFORCING PUBLIC OPINION IN POORER STATES MARKED BY LOWER RATES OF LITERACY TELEVISION IS ONLY SLOWLY GAINING A FOOTHOLD IN THE POORER COUNTRIES

THE MOST VULNERABLE SOCIETIESPOOR, ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPING SOCIETIESSOCIETIES MOVING FROM AUTHORITARIAN, ARBITRARY AND UNDEMOCRATIC RULE TO DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS

THE MEDIA IN THE MOST VULNERABLE SOCIETIESNO TRADITION OF AN INDEPENDENT MEDIALACK DEEPLY ROOTED PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR JOURNALISTSVIOLENT MEDIA CULTURE WITH NO SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO SOCIETY AS A WHOLEJOURNALISTS MANIPULATED BY THE DOMINANT POLITICAL FACTION THROUGH BRIBERY AND INTIMIDATIONMAJOR THEMES OF STORIES DEPEND ON STEREOTYPING AND SENSATIONALISMSTORIES REDUCING ETHNIC TENSION IGNORED

KEYS TO EFFECTIVE MEDIA INTERVENTIONASSESS THE STAGE WHICH THE GENOCIDAL SITUATION HAS REACHEDDEVISE A RESPONSE STRATEGY APPROPRIATE TO THAT STAGE

EARLY STAGE INTERVENTIONS(KILLINGS HAVE NOT BEGUN)DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN MONITORING OF THE MEDIATRAINING PROGRAMS AND CODES OF CONDUCT FOR LOCAL EDITORS AND JOURNALISTSFOREIGN ASSISTANCE TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL MEDIARADIO SOAP OPERAS AND DRAMA PROGRAMS PRODUCED BY LOCAL, INTER-ETHNIC TEAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS

MIDDLE STAGE INTERVENTIONS(ALREADY SOME GENOCIDAL MASSACRES)LOCAL JOURNALISTS, NGOs, AND GOVERNMENT MINISTERS OPPOSED TO GENOCIDE NEUTERED OR REPRESSED BY GOVERNMENT AND ITS ALLIESFOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AND NGOs, AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SHOULDNOTIFY PERPETRATORS THEIR HATE PROPAGANDA IS BEING MONITORED AND RECORDED TO ENABLE FUTURE PROSECUTIONINTENSIFY BROADCASTS OF ACCURATE NEWS IN LOCAL LANGUAGES TO COUNTER DISINFORMATIONINITIATE ELECTRONIC JAMMING OF HATE BROADCASTERS INCITING GENOCIDE

LATE STAGE INTERVENTIONS(GENOCIDE UNDERWAY)DESTROY THE TRANSMITTERS AND PRINTING PRESSES OF THE HATE MONGERSBROADCAST WARNINGS THAT GENOCIDE HAS BEGUNWARN PERPETRATORS TO CEASE AND DESISTBROADCAST FEASIBLE ROUTES TO SAFETY AND OTHER SURVIVAL INTELLIGENCE TO POTENTIAL VICTIMS

COUNTRIES WHERE SOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN TRIEDAFGHANISTANBOSNIA-HERZEGOVINABURUNDICAMBODIAKOSOVOLIBERIAMACEDONIASIERRA LEONE

ORGANIZATIONS FIGHTING HATE BROADCASTINGUNITED NATIONSEUROPEAN UNIONOSCEBBC WORLD SERVICE AND BBC TRUSTBRITISH DEPT. FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTUS AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTINTERNEWS NETWORKCANADIAN INSTIT. FOR MEDIA, POLICY AND CIVIL SOCIETYSEARCH FOR COMMON GROUNDHIRONDELLE FOUNDATIONOPEN MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTERADIO PARTNERSHIPCENTER FOR WAR, PEACE AND THE NEWS MEDIALIFELINE MEDIAMEDIEN HILFEAND OTHERS

FUTURE INITIATIVE: AN INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT BACKED BY TRANSMITTER EXPORT CONTROLSTHE LANDMARK MEDIA CASE JUDGMENTS OF THE ICTR, 3 DEC. 2003, CONFIRM THE UN GENOCIDE CONVENTIONS CRIMINALIZATION OF MEDIA INCITEMENTS TO COMMIT GENOCIDE, WHETHER OR NOT A GENOCIDE RESULTS

A MEDIA CODE OF CONDUCTNEEDED NOW IS AN INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT WHICH RECOGNIZES THE DUAL USE POSSIBILITIES OF TELEVISION AND AM, FM, AND SATELLITE RADIO TRANSMITTERSTHE CODE OF CONDUCT SHOULD BAN THE EXPORT OF TRANSMITTERS TO COUNTRIES ALREADY UNDER INTERNATIONAL ARMS EMBARGOES

REASONS WHY EXPORTS OF TRANSMITTERS COULD BE BANNEDNOT RESPECTING SANCTIONS DECREED BY THE UN SECURITY COUNCILVIOLATING HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS EMBODIED IN INTERNATIONAL TREATIESLIKELY TO USE EQUIPMENT TO PROVOKE OR PROLONG ARMED CONFLICTS OR AGGRAVATE EXISTING TENSIONS IN COUNTRY OF FINAL DESTINATIONTHREATENING THE NATIONAL SECURITY OF STATES SUBSCRIBING TO THE CODE OF CONDUCTDEMONSTRATING DISRESPECT FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW, ALLIANCES AND THE NEED TO CONTAIN TERRORISMLIKELY TO DIVERT THE EQUIPMENT WITHIN THE BUYER COUNTRY OR TO RE-EXPORT IT UNDER UNDESIRABLE CONDITIONS

Mandatory UN embargoesAfghanistan (Taliban) Al-Qaida, Usama Bin LadenAngola (UNITA) Eritrea Ethiopia LiberiaLibyaRwanda (rebels)Sierra Leone (rebels)SomaliaYugoslavia (FRY

EU embargoesAfghanistanBosnia and HerzegovinaChina CroatiaDRCEritreaEthiopiaIndonesiaIraq LibyaMyanmar (Burma)NigeriaSierra Leone (rebels)SudanYugoslaviaZimbabwe

Frank ChalkContact Informationhttp://migs.concordia.ca

drfrank@alcor.concordia.ca