Haiti and Katrina: Getting it Wrong in the Media

I confess that I have never been to Haiti. But the picture that the media has presented of this country just to our nation’s south, even before the recent earthquake, has been one of a (black) society run amuck in dysfunction and violence.

No one would argue that Haiti has seen desperate times and is tragically poor. But there is usually scant mention about the causes of poverty—the rape of the forests by early French colonists, the exploitation by multi-national corporations, racist and patronizing policies of US administrations, ruthless rule by Haiti’s own leaders in the hip pocket of wealthy land barons. And those I know who have been there, tell a very different story about vibrant entrepreneurship and tight social responsibility, about gracious hospitality and deep resiliency. But, as the events surrounding the recent earthquake thrust Haiti onto the front pages, this is not what the media would have you believe.

Almost immediately after the ground settled—even before some of the worst aftershocks—headlines began screaming about impending violence. The New York Times ran a story on January 16, four days after the quake, entitled Looting Flares Where Authority Breaks Down. The account speaks of isolated incidences of both theft and vigilante response, while buried far below the headline, we find these words, “Given the conditions, it was all the more remarkable that a spirit of cooperation and fortitude prevailed nearly everywhere else, as people joined together to carry corpses, erect shelters and share what food they could find.”

Even more egregious, Times (London) OnLine had the headline: Lynch Mob Turns on Looters amid Haiti Aid Crisis—contains video. Yet most of the article contained poignant stories of rescue and recovery and the video had absolutely no scenes of looters, let alone a lynch mob. The sole source cited for reporting such acts of violence was “by text message and word of mouth.”

My own observations in watching the news unfold on network television was that even positive stories of people working together to care for each other and rebuild their lives were prefaced with comments like, “where one would expect to find violence…”

A first hand report in Mother Jones, included the following: “Despite our being encamped with the media we have not seen any of the footage on TV since Wednesday or Thursday. We've been able to read some of the stories on line and it is fairly easy to pick up what angle the media is pushing based on the questions they ask us, and frankly, it had made us, or at least me, somewhat sceptical (sic) of their reporting. For example I believe (in fact we know because we've done some of it) that aid is actually getting dispersed and we all think (as do many of the aid providers) that the reports of looting and of convoys getting jumped are exaggerated. I'm sure there are incidents but I am also sure they are isolated.

Almost two weeks into the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy, there have been few substantiated reports of violence. The anticipated story simply did not materialize despite the media’s attempt to build a frame of lawlessness and violence.

I am reminded of the language the media (not just the Rush Limbaughs and the Pat Robertsons of the world) used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as perhaps best revealed in two photo captions of black and white survivors of the hurricane. The first, under a picture of a young black man carrying goods through the flood waters, said, “A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store.” [AP newswire Aug 20, 2005, 11:31 am ET] Ten days later, in an almost identical picture of whites engaged in the same activity, the caption read, “Two residents wade through chest deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store.” [AFP newswire, Aug 30, 2005, 3:47 am ET] The striking racism in the juxtaposition of “young man” to “residents,” of “looting” to “finding” showed media bias for what it is. The attempt to pin rampant violence on the Haitian people lays the same trap. We are advised not to fall in.

So, as you consider sending additional support to Haitians in this time of unimaginable need, do not be deceived by illusory headlines. Intersections has been at work with her Collegiate colleagues to secure a $50,000 grant for the people of Haiti (the check has already been sent) with a challenge to congregational members and friends (including friends to Intersections) to match that gift with another $50,000. Click here to help. Contributions will be made to Reformed Church World Service where 100% of your gift (less a small transaction fee if you donate on-line) will go directly to those in need. This is made possible because the infrastructure for Church World Service is paid by various denominational mission funds, thereby allowing the full amount of ALL gifts received for disaster-specific needs to go directly to those who need them. Please give generously.