In an era of unprecedented interconnectedness, media representations of humanitarian crises play a central role in shaping international norms, public sentiment, and policy responses. This study explores how journalistic framing constructs transnational memory and moral authority in global public discourse, with a focus on the coverage of the Rohingya “crisis” in South and Southeast Asia from 2016 to 2023. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from media studies, international relations, and cultural sociology, the paper investigates how distinct narrative frames — including moral urgency, victimhood, and civilizational threat — mediate geopolitical understanding and influence the mobilization of international actors. Employing qualitative discourse analysis of major English-language news outlets in Asia, North America, and Europe, the research identifies patterns through which crisis narratives are socially constructed, circulated, and contested. The findings reveal that media not only reflect events but actively produce political meaning, legitimizing certain interventions while marginalizing alternative perspectives. Such narrative infrastructures contribute to the construction of collective memory that transcends national borders, shaping how societies remember, interpret, and respond to violence and displacement. By reframing journalism as a form of symbolic power within global politics, this paper advances debates on the relationship between media, moral authority, and international legitimacy. It contributes to discussions across Globalization and Internationalization, Journalism and Communications, and International Relations, addressing how mediated narratives become central mechanisms in the cultural politics of humanitarianism.

Authors:
Teresa Martín, Complutense University of Madrid-Harvard University, Spain

About the Presenter(s)
Prof. María Teresa Martín Martín, PhD candidate (UCM-Harvard), specializing in global politics, media, and culture; examining how cultural and media dynamics shape International Relations.

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