The USA's Trivialized Coverage of the Holocaust

During World War II, the US media was on top of all the action occurring in both the European and Pacific Theaters. As the fighting aspects of the war were highlighted, the horrific realities of the Holocaust were unfortunately ignored. Basing their knowledge off of what the media was telling them, Americans had a vague idea that the Germans were killing Jews. Sporadic details and a lack of emphasis helped foster American ignorance toward a travesty that really should not have been downplayed.

There are five reasons why the US media did not intensely or extensively cover the Holocaust. First, it was a distraction from the war's main goal. The utter most important thing to Americans was an Allied victory that resulted in a Nazi surrender. As bad as the Jews' plight was, saving them was not the main goal. The Allies had to win the war at all costs (Kersten).

Second, anti-semitic thoughts rested within many Americans. Third, many Americans did not believe it was possible for the Germans to be committing such atrocious acts. Fourth, journalists treaded around this topic lightly as to not violate any media policies that the US has laid out. Both the Associated Press and United Press received stories about the mass killings of the Jews, but these stories were simply ignored and never saw the light of day (Kersten).

Finally, the New York Times, one of the leading newspapers in America, did not cover the Holocaust. The reports it did have of the genocide were all condensed and buried deep within the paper. None of it was headline news (Kersten).

All of these are very intriguing reasons for the US's poor reporting job regarding the Holocaust. The second reason grabs my attention because the anti-semitism within many Americans stemmed from Jewish immigration into their country. One the US started tightening up on immigration laws, the number of Jewish refuges entering America began to drop. Sadly, as the number of Jewish immigrants fell, the death toll of the Holocaust began to rise ("The United States and the Holocaust.").

The tone for the US's media coverage of the Holocaust was set by the Allies' delayed response to condemn the inhumane acts of the Germans. The State Department received word of the Holocaust in August of 1942 but waited until December of that same year to pass it on to Stephen Wise, the president of the World Jewish Congress. Wise brought the Germans' mass killing policies to light, and the Allies condemned and warned Nazi Germany a few weeks later ( "The United States and the Holocaust." ). 

Despite this public denouncement, American media did not publicize many aspects of the Holocaust. When it was covered, there was no headline status. The stories were hidden deep in the confines of newspapers. As I mentioned earlier, the one to spearhead this was the New York Times, It is definitely not the newspaper's fault for the poor coverage, but it did downplay the Holocaust one way or another ( "The United States and the Holocaust." ). 

The Holocaust may have been ignored while it was going on, but its ramifications were very real. Six million Jews were gone and the survivors of the ordeal looked inhuman. Seeing pictures of starved, miserable Holocaust survivors really resonated with people all over the world (especially America) and made these people question why they had not known about this sooner. Many say that ignorance is bliss, but in this case the cruel Nazi treatment of the Jews should have been told to the whole world and taken seriously. Unfortunately, humanitarian efforts came too late. Unfortunately, they came six million Jewish lives too late.

Sources

          Kersten, Mark. "The Awful Truth About Holocaust Reporting - And Its Legacy." Justice in Conflict. 13 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. <http://justiceinconflict.org/2014/02/13/the-awful-truth-about-holocaust-reporting-and-its-legacy/>.

          "The United States and the Holocaust." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 20 June 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005182>.

Foreign Perception of the USA

In the United States, Americans tend to focus mainly on how their country views itself. They do not pay much attention to foreign countries, and usually when they do they assert a "USA is better than all" attitude. Little do they know the strong opinions that other countries have regarding the Red, White, and Blue.

Usually Americans are warned of the dangers found in other countries, but the same holds true for foreigners visiting the USA. In Canada, they warn citizens who wish the travel to the USA about the drug and alcohol related violence within the country. They tell their citizens to be vigilant and low key when they are in heavy entertainment areas. If Canadians commit a crime, they will simply be shipped back north of the border to do their time (Seaney). 

Australia warns its citizens that the laws are stricter in the USA compared to the Land Down Under and that drinking age is upped to 21 as opposed to Australia's legal age of 18. Australia also warns them of various hazard weather conditions as well as the pricey medical treatment in the States (Seaney).

England is mainly concerned with the traffic, crime, and weather in the USA. The crime rarely involves tourists though, and the weather mostly revolves around hurricanes and snowstorms. The speed and drinking limits are also lower in the USA compared to England. Also, England has this drug known as Khat that is legal in the homeland but not so much in the USA. English tourists caught with this drug will be detained, arrested, and might face a prison sentence (Seaney).

Finally there is Germany. The Fatherland is a very liberal country in terms of sexuality as it has many nude beaches and many citizens who are not afraid to showcase their bodies. In the USA, however, it is much different as nudity is prohibited on all beaches and changing in public may upset bystanders (Seaney).

These examples regarding these four countries show just how different the USA's culture is from that of nations all over the world. What is acceptable or unacceptable in the USA differs depending on a country's values and social structure.

Now that I am done hilighting what some countries warn their citizens about before traveling to the USA, it is time to take a look at the countries who do and do not like the USA. According to the Pew Research Center, most of the animosity towards the USA is centered in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Some world powers like Germany and Russia are on this list based on past run-ins with the USA in World Wars I and II as well as the Cold War (Stokes).

Conversely, the countries who support the USA are scattered throughout the world. Nations on this list like France, the Philippines, and Israel do not surprise me as the USA has either maintained strong relations with them (France), used to own them (Philippines), or stepped in to deal with their conflicts (Israel). The country that surprises me on this list has to be Vietnam because I figured they were still upset about the whole Vietnam War and the napalming and killing of innocent civilians. After all of that, it is very intriguing to see that Vietnam views the USA in a positive light (Stokes).

Despite cultural and political differences, the USA has found a way to coexist with other nations around it. Yes, Americans have this mega sense of national pride that stems from past successes both internationally and domestically. Nevertheless, we as Americans should still be more accepting and understanding of both our foreign allies and enemies. We should strive to learn as much as we can about them while also maintaining good international relations all around. 

Sources

          Seaney, Rick. "Odd Things Other Countries Warn About Travel in the USA." ABC News. ABC News Network, 16 Mar. 2014. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/odd-things-countries-warn-travel-usa/story?id=22912284>.

          Stokes, Bruce. "Which Countries Don't like America and Which Do." Pew Research Center RSS. 15 July 2014. Web. 9 Apr. 2015. <http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/15/which-countries-dont-like-america-and-which-do/>.

US/Middle East Relations

For decades now, the USA has not been seen in a very positive light by the Middle East.  Military intrusion and a completely different set of values and lifestyles have only heightened the tensions between two very different cultures.

After 9/11, many Americans wondered what would prompt the Middle East to commit such an egregious act. All the though the USA was the victim of 9/11, the attack did not come without a cause. The Middle East for years had been upset with the USA over issues regarding the Palestine, the Gulf War, and the US mistreatment of Arab troops (".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:.").

The Middle East also does not like that the USA has been the watch guard and protector of Israel, who literally every country in the region despises and wants to destroy. Since the USA has been fighting on the account of Israel for so long, many Middle Eastern countries have grown to resent the Red, White, and Blue ("How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion."). 

In October of 2001, the War on Terror commenced as President George W. Bush sent US troops into the Middle East to bring peace and stability to the region while wiping out Al Quaeda, the group responsible for 9/11. What resulted was a long, drawn out war that lasted for 13 years. Sure, corrupt governments were deposed while the USA set up puppet regimes, but I feel personally as if nothing significant was accomplished at the expense of American lives ( ".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:).

US troops were stationed there for 13 years, and those living in Iraq and Iran especially did not like seeing these soldiers occupy their country. I can relate to this as I would not be a fan of enemy soldiers being stationed in the USA if that day ever arrived. In addition to that, tensions grow even higher when you consider how much the Middle East and the USA square off about nuclear enrichment. The USA does not want any country in the Middle East to have significant nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Just the notion of W.M.D.s is what prompted George W. Bush to go after Iraq as hard as he did ("How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion).

If I leave the violent aspect out of it, Americans and Middle Easterners also do not see eye to eye in cultural aspects. In America, girls can wear whatever clothing they want and reveal as much skin as they deem necessary. In the Middle East, most women have to wear face veils and keep their bodies entirely covered. 

In the USA, though Christianity is the most prolific religion, any religion goes. In the Middle East, it is Islam or die in most cases. Islam plays a big role in the Middle East as the religion has a strict set of codes and values tied in with it. In the USA, really anything from an immoral standpoint is allowed and at times can be highly covered by the media. American society makes up its own code that is a complete opposite of what Islam teaches. Not to mention also that Christians and Muslims do not get along too much, and those groups are primarily located in the USA and Middle East, respectively (".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:.").

With various militant issues and completely different world outlooks and mindsets, it is easy for me to see how Americans and Middle Easterners believe what they believe about one other. I hope that these perspectives change in the near future as both regions currently tend to judge one another based on actions of the extreme. Americans look at the Middle East and think suicide bombers and 9/11. They also tend to think of Christians and various other people being persecuted and executed in this region. Conversely, the Middle East looks at America and sees a superficial culture that has no values and thinks that it is superior to all others. Both perceptions are misplaced. If citizens of both regions took time to actually study and learn the habits of each's respective common people, then tensions would be lowered and the USA and Middle East could begin the process of building an amicable relationship with one another. 

Sources

          "How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion." How Muslims and Americans View Each Other - World Public Opinion. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/330.php?nid=&>.

          ".:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:." .:Middle East Online::Why Do Arabs and Muslims Hate America?:. Web. 3 Apr. 2015. <http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=54458>.

Mexican Media and the Drug Cartels

For decades, there has been a deadly drug war going on in Mexico between the various cartels based in the country. One ramification of this war has been that journalists have been caught in the crossfire. Not only that, media has come to play an instrumental role on both sides of the war.

For the drug cartels, media has been their main means of instilling fear and promoting their executions. Since 2006, drug cartels have been accused of kidnapping and murdering over 100,000 people! Media outlets pay a price, however, if they report negatively on the cartels. From 2000 to 2013, 88 journalists have been murdered with another 18 vanishing (Kirchner)! 

If any Mexican newspapers cover a cartel's violent endeavors along the US-Mexico border, then that cartel will respond by injuring or killing a member of that newspaper. It got so bad that El Diario de Juarez published an editorial imploring the cartels to stop and that the newspaper would do whatever was necessary to make the violence against them end. The cartels never responded (Kirchner).

Under current Mexican president, Enrique Pena Nieton, media coverage of cartel action has gone down tremendously. President Pena Nieto's crackdown attempts against the cartel actually prompted them to commence their murdering sprees (Tuckman). Since taking office, Pena Nieto has spoken out less and less against the cartels and on TV the words "organized crime" and "cartel" have all but vanished (Tuckman). 

Part of the diminishing coverage of the drug cartels is that the shock value is gone. People are not horrified when they find out about a journalist who was executed or that five media members were killed via fire squad because they spoke negatively of the cartel. As it turns out, some people actually seek out these horrific murder videos and photos via social media (Kirchner).

Even though journalists bare the brunt of the cartels' wrath, that does not mean that local citizens who bash the cartels via blogs are safe either. In 2011, two Mexican bloggers were found dead in Nuevo Laredo with notes on them accusing them of being "Internet snitches" (Kirchner). This has put many Mexican citizens on edge as people censor themselves on Twitter as a means to avoid cartel retaliation (Kirchner). The people are afraid, and with the media reporting less and less on cartel activity and journalists disappearing and dying, it appears that the cartel will be going nowhere anytime soon.

Sources:

          Kirchner, Lauren. "Media as Both Weapon and Defense in the Mexican Drug War." 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/media-weapon-defense-mexican-drug-war-76243>.

          Tuckman, Jo. "Journalists on Front Line of Mexico Drug War: 'Fear Is Terrible and Well Founded'" 9 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/09/mexico-drug-war-journalists-fear>.

Media In The Soviet Union

For 69 years, the Soviet Union dominated all of Eastern Europe. It was a brutal empire that was held together by the prevalent idea that Communism was the best form of government. In the Soviet Union, everybody was told what to think and feel. There was no freedom of thought or speech. If the people tried to absorb any media not approved by the state, then they would face grave consequences ("Life in USSR under Stalin.").

When Josef Stalin was in charge, he made sure that all expressions of him through the media were positive ones. He was glorified in all forms of art and writings and portrayed as a Russian hero and savior. Some artists were so distraught that their works always had to extol Stalin that they preferred to either kill themselves or emigrate to other countries ("Life in USSR under Stalin.").

Education was tightly run by the state. Kids were encouraged to join groups that promoted social/communist values. They had a very limited amount of books to read as the government monitored what books were and were not allowed in Soviet schools. Churches were attacked and preachers were arrested as Stalin wanted no one worshipping God over himself ("Life in USSR under Stalin.").

A prominent ideology of the Soviet Union was the Soviet Media Theory. This theory stated that the government would seize control of media as a means to benefit the interests of the working class. There was no private ownership of media whatsoever. The rationale behind this was that making the media an instrument of solely the state's would produce a more educated general public. It would also encourage the public to give responses which would foster media interests ("Soviet Media Theory.").

This media theory came under fire from critics who pointed out four flaws and just one strength. The first flaw is the prohibition of private media ownership. The second flaw is that this theory allows national interests to dominate what is regulated rather than personal interests. The third flaw is that journalists in this system appear more as state sympathizers than watchdogs. The final flaw is that if the leadership is bad, the whole country is doomed. The one strength of this system is that the communication system is two-way and allows feedback, which is not found in an authoritative media system ("Soviet Media Theory.").

The Soviet Union had a tight grip on its media and made sure the people only received information that the state wanted them to hear and see. Even though the Soviet Union has been gone for almost 25 years now, its presence still lingers in Eastern Europe. The media in Eastern Europe is predominantly free, but these nations still have trouble moving past a system that heavily influenced their way of life for so many years.

Sources:

          "Life in USSR under Stalin." Web. 24 Mar. 2015. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Stalins Russia.htm>.

          "Soviet Media Theory." Communication Theory RSS. Web. 24 Mar. 2015. <http://communicationtheory.org/soviet-media-theory/>.

Propaganda In Nazi Germany

From 1933-1945, Germany saw one of the most evil regimes come to light in the Nazi Party. Apart from promoting large-scale genocide and world domination, the Nazis did all they could to control the media and sway the German people's thoughts and opinions.

The leader of Nazi propaganda was Joseph Goebbels. In his role as propaganda minister, Goebbels hailed Hitler and the Nazi Party while painting all Jewish people as enemies of the state. He had all "un-German" books burned and produced multiple posters and films promoting the Nazi agenda. Goebbels made sure that any opinions that differed from the Nazis were snuffed out and never broadcasted. As important as it was to Goebbels to advocate Nazi superiority, his main priority was to degrade Jews and beat it into the Germans' heads that the Jews were the root of Germany's problem and the cause of the ongoing war ("Joseph Goebbels.").

Goebbels was completely pledged to Adolf Hitler. As the tide of the war shifted and the Nazis' defeat to the Allies became more and more inevitable, Goebbels goaded the German people to engage in an all-out war. He reasoned it was better for Germany to be completely wiped out if they were going to lose the war. By this point of the war, Nazi propaganda had lost its effectiveness and the Germans were preparing to surrender ("Joseph Goebbels.").

In addition to anti-Semitism, Nazi propaganda played on hatred towards the Bolsheviks in the Soviet Union. Hitler began this promotion after cunningly convincing the German people that Great Britain had been subjugated in 1941, which was not entirely true. Germany had indeed decimated Great Britain with air raid after air raid, but the great island nation was not at all under Nazi control (Welch).

Nevertheless, Hitler wanted the Soviet Union and knew he needed the German people's support if he was to undertake such a daunting task. By targeting Communists (and of course blaming the Jews), Hitler's anti-Bolshevik propaganda garnered him the support he wanted for a full-scale invasion of Stalin's USSR in June. He would need as much support as he could get because this move would eventually backfire tremendously (Welch).

Propaganda in Nazi Germany was used to promote Adolf Hitler, the Nazi Party, and the war effort. It suppressed all opponents and constantly painted the Jews as scapegoats. The effectiveness of this propaganda network was embodied in minister Joseph Goebbels, who held unquestionable loyalty towards Adolf Hitler. The Nazis' 15 years of power and influence in Germany show how valuable and influential the media can be. By controlling what the people see and hear, governments can shape their respective countries for better or worse. Unfortunately for the world and millions of people, Germany chose the latter.

Sources:

          "Joseph Goebbels." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/joseph-goebbels>.

         Welch, David. "Nazi Propaganda." BBC News. BBC. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/nazi_propaganda_gallery_06.shtml>.

Joseph Kony 2012

In March 2012, a video went viral on the Internet. The result was the introduction of Joseph Kony to the Western world. Working primarily out of Uganda, Kony led a militia known as the Lord's Resistance Army. He was notorious for abducting children and brainwashing them as a means to enslave and enlist them into his army ("Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel." ).

Besides the issue of enlisting child soldiers, Kony's Lord's Resistance Army was brutal towards innocent citizens. They went through villages defiling, murdering, and butchering countless people! Over two million Africans were left homeless after Kony and his army came through ("Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel.").

By 2005, Kony's death toll had reached 10,000 with child subjugations reaching 24,000. Warrants were issued for Kony's arrest, and the African Warlord preceded to go into hiding. In 2008, Operation Lightning Thunder was launched against Kony and the LRA, but this military offensive failed to stymie the LRA or capture Kony ("Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel." ).

As I stated earlier, a viral video was released via social media that described Kony's atrocities and why he needed to be brought to justice. The video was lauded for bringing awareness to the pressing need to capture Kony, but also criticized for implying that Africa needed the people of the West to step in and take care of a problem that really pertained to them only ("Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel." ).

The Kony story is a good example of how social media can raise awareness for a cause that is miles away in another country. Although the campaign died out and did not lead to Kony's capture, it helped bring light to an ongoing social issue. This shows how powerful social media can be and, when used for the right purposes, how much positive impact it can truly have on the world around us.

Sources:

          "Joseph Kony | Biography - Ugandan Rebel." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1017670/Joseph-Kony>.

          https://vimeo.com/37119711