Moral imperative or convenient choice?: media humanitarianism in the Syrian Civil War

Abstract

Over the course of the last century, humanitarianism has developed a highly influential industry that sits at the heart of geopolitical and commercial interests. This study argues that the news media and political approach to humanitarian work has become increasingly devoid of morality, that humanitarianism is more of a business to aid agencies and a sympathetic buzzword term to these bodies than truly altruistic acts of humanity. As a result, humanitarian crises such as the Syrian Civil War are eclectically covered by the news media, to the detriment of the suffering, and to the continued desensitisation of its audience. Ultimately, it is contended that despite the good work that aid agencies do, the potential influential value of political representation and news media portrayals, there must be critique of the negatives of this work in the bid for a more perfect system.