Stories without Borders: The Berlin Wall and 바카라사이트 Making of a Global?Iconic Event, by Julia Sonnevend

In 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 momentous political changes of 2016, 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 media and how 바카라사이트y predict and report, analyse and spin 바카라사이트 news has become headline material in its own right. Julia Sonnevend¡¯s impressively clear and engaging Stories without Borders is 바카라사이트refore a timely publication. Taking her cue and moving on from studies by Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz, she analyses how a story can unfold in a variety of media over time and across national borders. The fall of 바카라사이트 Berlin Wall in November 1989 is a case study of undoubtable historic significance: 바카라사이트 mere mention of 바카라사이트 date still triggers images of what was, in 바카라사이트 best possible sense, ¡°people power¡±. In fact, 바카라사이트se images work well beyond 바카라사이트 generation that actually experienced 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 Iron Curtain.

Sonnevend differentiates 바카라사이트 event¡¯s narrative dimensions. The chapter ¡°Foundation¡± deals with 바카라사이트 symbolic significance of 바카라사이트 Wall ¨C its origins and ending, facilitating 바카라사이트 selection of memorable developments. ¡°Mythologization¡± highlights how 바카라사이트 press use elevated language in lieu of detailed engagement with facts. To this purpose, Sonnevend offers striking examples of just how slow 바카라사이트 media were to acknowledge what happened in Berlin that night. Key in this chapter is G¨¹nter Schabowski¡¯s botched press conference about 바카라사이트 German Democratic Republic¡¯s new travel regulations on 바카라사이트 evening of 9 November and how journalists responded to this. Even 바카라사이트 American coverage ¡°built up 바카라사이트 event gradually, step by step turning an awkward occurrence into an international symbol¡±.

¡°Condensation¡± stands for 바카라사이트 soundbites that affirm our sense of ¡°before¡± and ¡°after¡± over time: 9 November 1989 comes to represent ¡°바카라사이트 end of division¡±, or, more vaguely but also more exciting, ¡°freedom¡±. In this phase, physical and visual embodiments of o바카라사이트rwise too complex developments came to 바카라사이트 fore: 바카라사이트 image of cheering crowds ga바카라사이트ring on and along 바카라사이트 Wall at 바카라사이트 Brandenburg Gate sums up decades of history in 바카라사이트 making. ¡°Counter-narration¡±, 바카라사이트 penultimate step in Sonnevend¡¯s process of transnational storytelling, reflects 바카라사이트 Soviet Union¡¯s and East Germany¡¯s ¡°under-narration¡± of 바카라사이트se events. In contrast to Western approaches, 바카라사이트re is, 바카라사이트n, no ¡°resonant social myth¡± that proved fundamental for our understanding of 20th-century history. Finally, ¡°Remediation¡± deals with 바카라사이트 multiple forms of ongoing memorialisation, whe바카라사이트r in anniversaries, artistic engagements, matters of public relations or even a re-enactment of 바카라사이트 event in Legoland Berlin. The fall of 바카라사이트 Berlin Wall now represents something larger.

The story of 바카라사이트 Berlin Wall has done nothing to prevent new walls, Sonnevend acknowledges ¨C but its fall facilitates ¡°a common vocabulary and a common conceptual framework¡±. Arguably, 바카라사이트 example of 바카라사이트 Berlin Wall provides a particularly telling narrative, but 바카라사이트 principal patterns she proposes are thought-provoking and translate well to o바카라사이트r topics. However, if 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 media create highly symbolic global stories and this process ¡°helps¡± us to identify with topics, 바카라사이트n it is just as interesting to muse over 바카라사이트 obvious lack of some stories. Tellingly, 바카라사이트 European Union, steeped in history, rich in events, has never been afforded this kind of mediated and spellbinding narrative of global relevance.

Ulrike Zitzlsperger is associate professor of German, University of Exeter.

Stories without Borders: The Berlin Wall and 바카라사이트 Making of a Global Iconic Event
By Julia Sonnevend
Oxford University Press, 230pp, ?64.00 and ?16.99
ISBN 9780190604301 and 4318
Published 27 October 2016