Media narratives of kindness − a critique

Bibliographic Data

ID5716130
AuthorsM J Dutta (0000-0002-2228-8100, Massey University), Mohan Dutta (0000-0002-4115-6832, Massey University), Phoebe Elers (0000-0001-7769-6024, Massey University, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume177
Issue1
Pages108-112
Publication date2020-11-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedia International Australia (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1329-878X • E-ISSN: 2200-467X
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1329878x20953278
OpenAlexW3082487925
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited10

Since the coronavirus outbreak, various media outlets across the globe have disseminated and promoted stories of kindness as registers for COVID-19 response. These narratives of kindness appeal to the human capacity to do good, inviting the public to 'make a difference' by performing altruistic acts of helping those who are less fortunate or in a time of need. However, there is a dark side to these narratives, one that does not serve those who are precarious, underprivileged or marginalised, by obfuscating and erasing necessary conversations on the transformative policies and infrastructure changes needed to address fundamental structural issues underlying the deep inequalities we inhabit in a COVID world

Aesthetics · Appeal · Art · Environmental ethics · Globe · Inequality · Kindness · Literature · Media studies · Narrative · Political science · Sociology · Transformative learning · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Law · Medicine · Philosophy · Psychology

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Open DOIOpen Access