 The cover, featuring the widely publicized photo of the assassination of Andrei Karlov | |
| Author | Jessica M. Fishman |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Media depiction of death |
| Publisher | New York University Press |
Publication date | 2017 |
| Pages | 281 |
| ISBN | 978-0-8147-7075-7 |
| OCLC | 982607558 |
| 070.4/493069 | |
| LC Class | PN4784.D37 F57 2017 |
Death Makes the News: How the Media Censor and Display the Dead is a book by social and behavioral scientist Jessica M. Fishman. It was published in 2017 by New York University Press. The book focuses on the media's response to and portrayal of violent events, particularly when it comes to photographs. It also focuses on newsworthiness of tragedies, and comparisons in how different types of events, like natural disasters or mass murder, are covered, and the usage by relatives of victims of photos to attempt to get justice. The book itself contains photos of the dead in some cases, with the cover featuring the widely publicized photo of the assassination of Andrei Karlov.
Fishman based her research off of an analysis of the photos included in the coverage of four American news outlets, both tabloid and broadsheet, as well as interviews with several journalists in those and other publications. In her conclusion, she goes against the typical perception of the media's coverage of death, arguing that instead of using such photos to grab attention, American publications often actively resist publications of photos of the dead. She also presents evidence that, again contrary to public perception, tabloid newspapers are actually far less likely to publish photos of dead people than non-tabloid papers.
It received positive reviews, with praise for its evidence, theories and study of the role and presentation of death in the media. It was also praised for its usage of images, of which 67 are included in the book, though one reviewer believed their impact had been lessened by the monochrome printing and would have benefited from color. There was some criticism over its lack of context for the journalistic and historical information background, with some reviewers wishing it had provided more context. Another reviewer wished that the photographic analysis would have included a wider selection of publications, as they viewed the existing selection as leaving jarring omissions.