Trauma Porn: A Media Obsession Worth Eradicating
by Leslie Fields-Cruz
Trauma porn is ubiquitous in today’s media. Footage of Haitian refugees living in squalid conditions beneath Texas’ Del Rio International Bridge. Images of desperate Afghan families risking everything to escape the chaos of regime change. Graphic scenes of death and desperation during natural disasters. Too often, those traumatized in these “breaking news” stories are people of color. Most often, the people capturing the footage are not.
Trauma porn is a recurring element of Extractive Storytelling. The media’s excuse for distributing such graphic images is that it “raises public awareness.” But for those at the center of these stories, the footage is nothing short of the digital embalming of their most agonizing and humiliating moments.
Though the term “trauma porn” is relatively new — generally used to describe media stories depicting the inhumane and often exploitative treatment of BIPOC individuals by police and/or White civilians — the practice of capturing and distributing images of BIPOC trauma is not. BPM partner and cultural strategist Sonya Childress advocates an alternative to Extractive Storytelling, something she calls Just Storytelling.
“[Just Storytelling is ] a filmmaking ethos that is locally grounded, healing-focused, antiracist, and in conversation with justice movements.”
Among the questions Childress urges storytellers to ask themselves when working on stories are:
- What is your personal connection or unique vantage point to the story?
- How might you mitigate your biases or knowledge limitations that may impact the storytelling?
- Who can you partner with to inform your understanding of the issue or community?
- How will you ensure your filmmaking practice is equitable, ethical and antiracist?
- How will your filmmaking honor, and have the true consent of the people at the center of the story?
Eradicating trauma porn won’t be easy. But as a community, we have the power to offer alternatives. If more of us practice Just Storytelling, we can eclipse today’s sad penchant for presenting trauma as entertainment. Personally, I look forward to that new day.
Last week was marked by the death of 20th century media trailblazer Melvin Van Peebles, and the transcendence of a rising 21st century star Indya Moore. BPM salutes them both.
Van Peebles depicted urban Black life with degrees of grit and swagger seldom seen before his SweetBack’s Baadasssss Song (1971). His work ushered in the blaxploitation era, which — like it or not — opened opportunities for many Black folks in the film industry.
Following Moore’s appearance at this year’s Met Gala, the star of Netflix’s Pose demonstrated a brand of personal introspection and courage that is refreshing to see in a rising Black celebrity. Who knows how the industry will respond. But I hope Moore’s actions inspire more young stars to use their celebrity platform to question the status quo.
Van Peebles’ era is done. Moore’s is still dawning. What they share is a commitment to showing the world that Black stories and storytellers matter. Anyone whose work demonstrates callous indifference to our people’s trauma deserves our rebuke. Those demanding justice and respect deserve our applause.
Fields-Cruz is the executive director of Black Public Media
