Interrogating the Medium and the Message: Utilizing Historical Documentaries to Teach About Genocide
Book Chapter
Krutka, DG, Christ, RC. (2016). Interrogating the Medium and the Message: Utilizing Historical Documentaries to Teach About Genocide
. 183-211. 10.1108/978-1-68123-735-020251012
Krutka, DG, Christ, RC. (2016). Interrogating the Medium and the Message: Utilizing Historical Documentaries to Teach About Genocide
. 183-211. 10.1108/978-1-68123-735-020251012
It has been said that while history does not repeat itself, it does rhyme. There are few phenomena in which it is more dire for global citizens to recognize the rhythms and rhymes of history than in cases of genocide. While moral platitudes suggest that genocide should never again be tolerated by humanity, global responses—including the American response—have continually fallen short of such rhetoric. In her detailed analysis of American responses to post-19th century genocides, Samantha Power contended that, “Despite graphic media coverage, American policymakers, journalists, and citizens are extremely slow to muster the imagination needed to reckon with evil” (Power, 2013, p. xvii). And in an era of media conglomeration and proliferation, citizens face the challenge of drowning in so much disjointed information and misinformation that they can suffer from a paralysis of civic responsibility (NCSS, 2009). We, therefore, believe that social studies educators not only have a moral imperative to teach students about genocides, but also to prepare students to critically sift through the media messages they will encounter in the 21st century.
