1 - Black Hawk Down and the Framing of Somalia: Pop Culture as News and News as Pop Fiction
Corresponding Author(s) : Nixon Kariithi
Africa Media Review,
Vol. 16 No. 1 (2008): Africa Media Review, Volume 16, n° 1, 2008
Abstract
Barely one month before leaving office, President George H. W. Bush ordered
28,000 American troops into Somalia. It was the largest American humanitarian
operation in many years. The operation was intended to halt the starvation of
thousands of Somali civilians caught in the crossfire of warring factions
jockeying for power following the collapse of the country’s central government.
In the end, the operation failed. This paper seeks first, to examine the basis and
nature of the framing of this event by American news and entertainment media
during the American adventure in Somalia and in the aftermath of the events of
September 11, 2001, and second, to explore the image of the Somali created in the
American public mind by this framing.
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- African Medical Research Foundation, 1991, ‘Food Security and Malnutrition in
- Horn Region’, Nairobi.
- Bowden, M., 1997, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, New York: Atlantic
- Monthly Press.
- Cook, B., 2002, ‘Interview with Paul Tatara’, Flak Magazine, October 20.
- Cnn.com, 2001, ‘Entertainment Tonight’, December 30.
- The Economist, 1990, ‘Somalia: The Mayor of Mogadishu’, September 2, p. 51.
- Epstein, E., 1973, News From Nowhere, New York: Vintage Books.
- Gitlin, T., 1980, The Whole World is Watching: Mass Media in the Making and
- Unmaking of the New Left, Berkeley: University of California.
- Griffith, T., 1974, How True: A Skeptic’s Guide to Believing the News, Boston:
- Little, Brown and Company.
- Hall, S., 1973. ‘The Determinations of the News Photograph,’ in Stanley Cohen
- and Jack Young, The Manufacture of News, London: Constable.
- Howe, Q., 1968, The News and How to Understand It, New York: Greenwood
- Press.
- Human Rights Watch, 1993, ‘Somalia: Beyond the Warlords; The Need for a Verdict
- on Human Rights Abuses’, March 7, Vol. V, Issue no. 2.
- The Independent, 1993, ‘Why Somalia and Why Now?’ London, January 16.
- Lippman, T., W. and Gellman B. , 1993a, ‘A Humanitarian Gesture Turns Deadly’,
- The Washington Post, October 10, p.1.
- Lippman, T., 1993b, ‘Oakley’s Carrot for Aideed: 10,000 Somali Casualties in Four
- Months’ The Washington Post, December 8, p.2.
- Lyman, R., 2001, ‘An Action Film Hits Close, but How Close?’ The New York
- Times, Vol. CLI, no. 51, December 26.
- Mitchell, E., 2001, ‘Mission of Mercy Goes Bad in Africa’ The New York Times,
- Vol. CLI, no. 51, December 28.
- Sunday Standard, 1980, ‘Leaders Attack Barre-U.S. Pact’, Nairobi, July 9.
- Tatara, P., 2001, ‘Black Hawk a Letdown’, Cnn.com, December 28.
- United Nations, 1989, Africa Recovery, vol. 3, no. 1, p.2, New York.
- U.S. State Department, 1990, Country Reports: Somalia, Wells, Jeffery, 2002, ‘Hollywood
- Confidential, Reel.com’, Washington DC, February 6.
- Weekly Review, 1980, ‘Barre: The Black Man’s Burden’, Nairobi, July 14.
- Williams, W. A., 1982, Empire as a Way of Life, New York: Oxford University Press.
- World Bank, 1988, World Development Report, Washington D C.
- World Bank, 1989, Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Development,
- Washington DC.
References
African Medical Research Foundation, 1991, ‘Food Security and Malnutrition in
Horn Region’, Nairobi.
Bowden, M., 1997, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, New York: Atlantic
Monthly Press.
Cook, B., 2002, ‘Interview with Paul Tatara’, Flak Magazine, October 20.
Cnn.com, 2001, ‘Entertainment Tonight’, December 30.
The Economist, 1990, ‘Somalia: The Mayor of Mogadishu’, September 2, p. 51.
Epstein, E., 1973, News From Nowhere, New York: Vintage Books.
Gitlin, T., 1980, The Whole World is Watching: Mass Media in the Making and
Unmaking of the New Left, Berkeley: University of California.
Griffith, T., 1974, How True: A Skeptic’s Guide to Believing the News, Boston:
Little, Brown and Company.
Hall, S., 1973. ‘The Determinations of the News Photograph,’ in Stanley Cohen
and Jack Young, The Manufacture of News, London: Constable.
Howe, Q., 1968, The News and How to Understand It, New York: Greenwood
Press.
Human Rights Watch, 1993, ‘Somalia: Beyond the Warlords; The Need for a Verdict
on Human Rights Abuses’, March 7, Vol. V, Issue no. 2.
The Independent, 1993, ‘Why Somalia and Why Now?’ London, January 16.
Lippman, T., W. and Gellman B. , 1993a, ‘A Humanitarian Gesture Turns Deadly’,
The Washington Post, October 10, p.1.
Lippman, T., 1993b, ‘Oakley’s Carrot for Aideed: 10,000 Somali Casualties in Four
Months’ The Washington Post, December 8, p.2.
Lyman, R., 2001, ‘An Action Film Hits Close, but How Close?’ The New York
Times, Vol. CLI, no. 51, December 26.
Mitchell, E., 2001, ‘Mission of Mercy Goes Bad in Africa’ The New York Times,
Vol. CLI, no. 51, December 28.
Sunday Standard, 1980, ‘Leaders Attack Barre-U.S. Pact’, Nairobi, July 9.
Tatara, P., 2001, ‘Black Hawk a Letdown’, Cnn.com, December 28.
United Nations, 1989, Africa Recovery, vol. 3, no. 1, p.2, New York.
U.S. State Department, 1990, Country Reports: Somalia, Wells, Jeffery, 2002, ‘Hollywood
Confidential, Reel.com’, Washington DC, February 6.
Weekly Review, 1980, ‘Barre: The Black Man’s Burden’, Nairobi, July 14.
Williams, W. A., 1982, Empire as a Way of Life, New York: Oxford University Press.
World Bank, 1988, World Development Report, Washington D C.
World Bank, 1989, Sub-Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Development,
Washington DC.