ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the multiple ways in which media interact with the existence of evil in the world, even to the extent of engaging in the contest of what evil is. It posits several different approaches that media take to evil, including becoming participants in it, dupes for it, and critics of it, and legitimizers or sensationalists in response to it. The chapter details specific situations illustrating each of these approaches historically, including the break-up of Yugoslavia, the genocide in Rwanda, and the use of media by the Nazi regime. It also examines more recent situations, including the two Gulf wars, the differences in the treatment of atrocities in Myanmar and the Philippines, and the contentious debate over immigration, including what constitutes evil, in the United States. It ends with suggestions as to how media should approach the use of language and the problem of evil in contemporary society.
