Protest. A word indissociable from the year 2011. In America, Occupy Wall Street protestors took up tented residence across the country to demonstrate against crony capitalism. Spurred by events in Tunisia, Egypt erupted in a people’s revolution that ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak. Popular unrest has been brewing since the imposition of austerity measures in Greece and Spain. Meanwhile, the evening news continues to cover these events in one-and-a-half minute intervals accompanied by a flood of images, making these events difficult to assess.
News represents an innovative collaboration between journalist Susanne Fischer and artist Monika Huber. A former reporter in Baghdad, Fischer has on-the-ground experience with revolutionary events and has brought together contributions that present a balanced view of the Arab Spring, including essays exploring freedom of the press and the role of the Internet in enabling revolution. Huber draws more broadly on events that have dominated television coverage in the past year, including Occupy Wall Street, the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East, the earthquake and nuclear reactor accident in Japan, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, and the mass killings in Norway. Photographing and manipulating images from the news, she creates photo-art that casts a critical eye on the selection, presentation, and perception of these images.
With many of the uprisings showing no signs of abating, the words and images in News together offer a fresh look at the issues that exceeds what we can find in traditional journalism.
Table of Contents
Underground
Ulrich Wilmes
The Myth of the Objective Journalist
Susanne Fischer
Where it All Began
Susanne Fischer
Forget Your Children!
Susanne Fischer
Key Witness of the Revolution
Susanne Fischer
A State of Becoming
Raed Rafei
An Announcement of Certain Death
Razan Zeitouneh
From Day to Day
Susanne Fischer
Flowers for Soldiers
Susanne Fischer
Sometimes, There is No Escape
Maryam Hassn
Social Media in Yemen
Atia al-Wazir
The End of Fear
Susanne Fischer
Advice in Case You Are Beaten
Sabry Khaled
The Fairy Tale of a People’s Uprising
Tiare Rath
Creative Resistance
Susanne Fischer
Refugees and Tourists
Susanne Fischer
Democracy
Susanne Fischer
I Did Not See Anything Scary
Maryam Hassan
Time for Change
Razan Zeitouneh
A Wedding and 84 Funerals
Atiaf al-Wazir
Competing for Attention
Atiaf al-Wazir
This is My Son, the Martyr
Razan Zeitouneh
The Business of Saving Lives
Razan Zeitouneh
No Story is Worth Your Life
Hazim al-Sharaa
18 Days!
Raghda al-Halawany
A Family’s Struggle for Freedom
Zainab Al-Khawaja
About the Contributors
Credits and Acknowledgements
Ulrich Wilmes
The Myth of the Objective Journalist
Susanne Fischer
Where it All Began
Susanne Fischer
Forget Your Children!
Susanne Fischer
Key Witness of the Revolution
Susanne Fischer
A State of Becoming
Raed Rafei
An Announcement of Certain Death
Razan Zeitouneh
From Day to Day
Susanne Fischer
Flowers for Soldiers
Susanne Fischer
Sometimes, There is No Escape
Maryam Hassn
Social Media in Yemen
Atia al-Wazir
The End of Fear
Susanne Fischer
Advice in Case You Are Beaten
Sabry Khaled
The Fairy Tale of a People’s Uprising
Tiare Rath
Creative Resistance
Susanne Fischer
Refugees and Tourists
Susanne Fischer
Democracy
Susanne Fischer
I Did Not See Anything Scary
Maryam Hassan
Time for Change
Razan Zeitouneh
A Wedding and 84 Funerals
Atiaf al-Wazir
Competing for Attention
Atiaf al-Wazir
This is My Son, the Martyr
Razan Zeitouneh
The Business of Saving Lives
Razan Zeitouneh
No Story is Worth Your Life
Hazim al-Sharaa
18 Days!
Raghda al-Halawany
A Family’s Struggle for Freedom
Zainab Al-Khawaja
About the Contributors
Credits and Acknowledgements