Between Victims and Perpetrators Analyzing the New York Times Coverage of the Genocide in Rwanda

Abstract

This article explores, in depth, the New York Times reporting on the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. While the conflict is often considered to be a failure on the part of the international community for their lack of response, what role, if any, did the media play in the representation of genocide? The Times covered the events on the ground every day of the violence, but how did the story unfold to the public and what are the implications of such reporting? This article hopes to analyze the events as they were portrayed by the Times and explain the significance of such reporting.