The Compelling Story of the White/Western Activist in the War Zone: Examining Race, Neutrality, and Exceptionalism in Citizen Journalism

Abstract

This article explores the racialized dimensions of the witnessing, documenting and reporting practices of White/Western activists. Drawing from indepth interviews conducted with Canadian activists who have travelled mainly to Palestine and Iraq to report on the effects of military violence, it considers how racialized power is (re)produced through their practices. The article weaves postcolonial feminist theory, scholarship on citizenship journalism and narrative data. It explores several pitfalls that activists encounter in their representational practices, showing how easily and frequently they slide into a position of dominance. It asserts the need for an ongoing critique of the taken-for-granted virtues of "alternative" or "independent" media practices by nonprofessional or "citizen" journalists. Specifically, it challenges the prevalent notion that citizen journalism is a sure means to subvert power relations. Keywords:The politics of voice; Whiteness; Race & representational practices; North-South; Postcolonial theory Résumé : Cet article explore les dimensions raciales des témoignages, documentations et reportages provenant de militants blancs/occidentaux. Se fondant sur des entrevues en profondeur avec des militants canadiens qui ont voyagé principalement en Palestine et en Iraq pour rendre compte des effets de la violence militaire, il évalue la manière dont leurs pratiques (re)produisent le pouvoir racial. Pour ce faire, l'article combine la théorie féministe postcoloniale, la recherche sur le journalisme citoyen, et des données narratives. Il explore plusieurs déficiences apparaissant dans les pratiques représentationnelles des militants, montrant combien il est facile et commun pour ceux-ci d'adopter une position de prédominance par rapport à leurs sujets. Il met l'accent sur le besoin d'une critique en continu des pratiques médiatiques « alternatives » ou « indépendantes » propres aux journalistes citoyens ou non professionnels. Plus précisément, il met en question l'idée conventionnelle que le journalisme citoyen soit une manière sûre de subvertir les rapports de pouvoir.

The touristification of a conflict zone: The case of Bil’in

“…This argument complies with the position of Higgins-Desbioles (2013) who stresses the important role of tourism in securing political solidarity in Palestine. Note, however, that the goal of this paper was not to question the role and impact of political tourism, nor to judge the motivations and conduct of the activists, but, as suggested by Fassin (2007) and Mahrouse (2009), to understand the anthropological configuration in which political tourism is taking place.…”

Pop-up non-governmental organizations: (Re)producing colonial helping relations

“…However, Fozdar and Pederson (2013) do not critique the ways in which pro-asylum bloggers speak for and represent asylum seekers. I attribute this to Fozdar and Pederson's (2013) lack of an explicit or critical theoretical framework; by situating her study in postcolonial theory, Mahrouse's (2009) critique problematizes positive representations, as well.…”

“…As a result, this review includes the analysis of North-South power relations found in empirical studies that examine representations, such as those created in firsthand activist accounts. Mahrouse (2009) explores Canadian activists' representational practices through citizen journalism in Southern war zones, and Fozdar and Pedersen (2013) examine discursive interactions regarding asylum seekers on an online blog. Mahrouse (2009) examines the self-represented narratives of activists' racialized roles in representing Southern Others.…”

“…Mahrouse (2009) explores Canadian activists' representational practices through citizen journalism in Southern war zones, and Fozdar and Pedersen (2013) examine discursive interactions regarding asylum seekers on an online blog. Mahrouse (2009) examines the self-represented narratives of activists' racialized roles in representing Southern Others. Her study is framed in postcolonial, feminist theory (Mahrouse, 2009).…”

“…Mahrouse (2009) examines the self-represented narratives of activists' racialized roles in representing Southern Others. Her study is framed in postcolonial, feminist theory (Mahrouse, 2009). She argues that activists, under the guise of neutrality and "exceptionalism", often unknowingly, "reproduce power relations rather than challenge them" (Mahrouse, 2009, p. 667, p. 670).…”