Representaciones mediáticas de Mahoma: Nuevos retos para los estudios de comunicación internacional

Abstract

Since the end of the Cold War, the changes in international politics have forced the field of international communication to revise itself on a permanent basis. International actors have become diffused. Observed from Latin America, the most recent events of political terror are hard to understand because of their impact in the media, but also because of their attacks on cultural targets (satirical publications, journalists, museums, universities, concerts). The teaching of communication now faces new challenges. On the one hand, it must keep up to date and find innovative ways to present topics that, although they remain current since the Cold War, have witnessed significant transformations. On the other hand, it must explain a context with new actors, new uses of communication technology, and new communication problems. This article proposes to approach the teaching of international communication by studying the dramatic consequences of the depictions of Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, in the YouTubevideo Innocence of Muslims, and in the French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo. In particular, the article suggests to use this case to teach four key topics for international communication: the model of social responsibility in the press; the international flow of information and communication...