i Witnessing John Durham Peters ‘Witnessing is a common but arely examined tem in Boh the profesional performance and academic analysis of media events Media isttons fave entusasteally adopted estore, especialy for nonfiction pees sch se now, spor and documentary. Such les at yewriners News, See Te Now. Live at Five of Asi Happens adverse wee program's privileged ‘rotimity to evens. Meda petonac such as conespondents and bs ‘eader cin be ition se wines. Camers and eucrophooes ar ‘en precntd ax nabs eyes end ear for suites who can Wiese Tor menselves.Oedinary pope can be witnesses in media (Be VOX pop Interview. tellus how happened of media (member of staio audiences) and vie media (watching history onfold at ome in thie ames). The ‘media claim to provide testimonies for our iepecton, dus making Us winesss of te Way of the word. AS a tem of a. winessing cushnes ‘mote cololess competitor sucha viewing, ltening oconsoring, rang ‘mterreing or decoding for thinking about the expenence of meta, What ‘she significance of this pervasive way of alkig” Ins aril, 1 popost to untangle the concept of witnessing inorder 19 ‘lumina base problems im media studies Witnsing ea striae langle price, I esses questions of tah and experience, presence and shen! death and pin, sing ad saying, and the ustwonhines of pecepion in shor. fesarenal questions of communication. The long Fistor of puzziement and pesenpion about proper wiessing tat deve ‘ped in ral nd prt clus 3h source for rein about some of the ambiguities of audoviual mela Hoary philosophical ses (auc 35 the epistemological stats of the senses) ofen show Up i mea paces in surprising ways: i tum mediapratces cn. if seen in te rope Tigh ing. ao clay old phlosopteal wort, Hea, Cuore & Soy © 2001 SAGE Pobiesiaes (London Thowsnd Oaks “alNew Den, VoL 35 70.723, Toves-23204 1123.6 707-725019516)8 Media, Clare & Soctey 236) An important tp inthis dction hasbeen taken i Jn Eli's Seing ‘Things (200), whose lucsd arguments 1 wish fo extend and suance Wit sting. for His. 8 a distinct mode of perepion "we cat sty we do gc know is moto, To wins am event oe responuble to Soe shy coi The steam of data lowing though the unaided senses lady exceed out explinatry schema, The preseat een sopphes enough Sensory informaiton to ota ifeune of aly Andria med howeves. ae abe o catch comingent deta of event that wad pe viously have heen ele inpercepble or 16 memory” A camer can ‘reveal the inact of 3 bllt ta appl the tape fend can fk an of ‘hevecord commen Such mechanical dumb’ media see o preset mages tnd sounds asthe happened. witht the emelishests ard Hho pas ‘ha man perception and menoryrostnelyimpore We tus fad orslves, ‘endowed witha hich smplifed and nuance record of event super sundance of dets' sick wih evdentary valve Though photography. Sound recoding. im and eadio have all expanded the resln of stsary vince. lis singles ou tevson in parca “Sepa n space et United tine, the co presence of the wlevisin image was developing 8 disine form of wines. Witnessing became 3 dome act. Television Scaled the tented com's ft a5 the centary of wines (Eli 2000 532), Livenes i key charcteste of televisual wiessing,iclading the moray problematic winessing Of Wolence and eamage He advance wit essing 4 hey ter for meds analysis that. he Beles er of on Tog baggage than other more commonly sed concepts For Elis sn sum, winessing has to do wth compli: owes much to ‘modem med of isenption tan attide clivited By lie television, furtculary non-cton programming: and a valsble resource for med nls would concur with Elin eveything withthe exception th rtesing actualy cares weighty baggage. i aot cotlogcl a eat historia Yet is baggage not ony burden, buss pote ease a leas since it makes explicit He pervasive lnk btwenn witnessing Ad Suffering and shows he degree to which mda peebems wih winesing fe built upoe venerable communication poole that eee he Wines 26 kind of signfying at The baggage” has thee main ter related soutees aw. theology and avin aw. the motion of the winess as 2 privileged source of information for jadi decisions i ‘cet, and is part of ost kw Leal systems. In tclogy the noon of ites. especialy as mary. developed i ely Cistaty. thogh hs Fesonance for other relpits traditions swell. The third. nant recat Source dates rom the Second Word War the witnest a8 survivor of al [rtoypcally but not excsively the Holocaust or Shoah, These tice Somains endow "witnessing nit ts extraordinary moral ad eltarl force today. since each tes the at of witnessing in some deep wy toe and ‘eat The procedures of the counoom: the pain of the Hy and heey Pests, Winsting 108 ofthe srvivor east lipht on bute questions sich as what means to Seach fo naa of Be poset aan event Witessing as an atainy sable ary of yatces for securing rath fom the fats of or seni {pain and cuelncvable death nceses the ake four inking aout ‘maa evens Analyzing the term [Axa noun, wei nice, The tem involves lee pins af a ase mmuniation range (I) the agent who bear wines. (2) the wrance foctex tet (3 the unce who minestes iy thas + seange ba te Tipble sentence io sy: the mites epee eto he wits (person) was ‘wiessed (py 0 aaence)A wines can ano be the pefocrance tell Thar we speak ofa Helocaat survivor's wines against fcism In Alncan Ameria eurches when peaches ak, "Can gota wits?” (hey inte ance allimaton a putin, ce withess 3s public ‘stu of Fats Tn ebgious coments, wines can aso havea mace private ‘meaning. as inward. conicion of religious uuh. which in tm may toate actuity of 'witnesting"(evangelisng) Ina erste istry nd joumaliny ake, 2 witnest ran obser sour posssng fileged (aw, athe) promi Yo facts. A wits. Suen Bea ctor ene wo hee witness), an athe making o 9 special sot of ae ‘meni the Sense fesidue ofthat ae (ie statement text) or he ard ‘Sepenence that uote the snement (he witresnng of ee) "Ara ver, lo wines hae a dowble aspect To wines can be 2 ensoy ‘xpenence~ the minessing of an event wih o's or eye and et. We Sal consanly, wineser im ts seme simply by vitue of nds uncles ta pce nd Times whore things happen Moat of what we Sess inigcan ia the Ler scheme of things abd Yaises ino ‘ivion. But winessing is alu the discursive at of sing ov s expe fc forthe bent of ah audience Dat was pot present at the even and ye ‘ns make son Kind of judnent abo Witnesses serve the seogate ‘cove nga ofthe stn If what we Rave winesed 6 eri or & JBlgment me uy be summoned 10 formal iesbtnal etn COUN of {gw a church or 4 wlevason sauio. A witce the paradigm cate of ‘medion: he mcs by which experience suplied 1 bers who lack te agin "To tess ts has two fs: the passive one of sing ad the active cone of saying. In passive witesing an acide auience observes the {vets a the wo in atv witesig one sa pevieged possessor and producer of knoedge in an extraordinary. often frese sting in which Speech and ttharepoticd in mip mays What oe has sen suthonues Saha one sayin active wines ft mut have been» passive one Hereinno Media Care & Society 246) lis the fagity of witesing the difficult juncture between experince nd iscoarse, The witness i authorized to speak by having ben present fan oceurence. A pavae experience cnabee a plese Bur he Josey from expenence (ihe Sen) into words (es) I pecans ‘Winesing pesappose a dscrcpancy between the ignorant of ene person and the knowledge of anther a intensfcaton of the problem of cermuniation moe gency. Kt lwayssnvaves at epstemolopes! ap ‘whos ging is always fraught wth eiculy, No asin of ons tess Is pore. Words can be exchaned,enpericncescamot Testimony ‘antlers discourse whose univerc of relernce divers rn ones town, Like somebody else's pun W alvays has twilight sis Bewoen ersity and ub A paret may ber ines to sch hat 2 ove i ho, but geting burn may be more persuasive. Walnessng ts dscaune th a teva ht await ling ‘The unelabiity of witnesses ‘Wane, human or mechanical. fe notoriously contadctory an inaticu- tae Difleen people who wits the same” event can pace earsahy ivergent accounts. Though awareness of tie por epsemolope! sl ‘of winesing is ancient 20tvccnury socal scenge ha explore it dea Eyewitness testimony. for istance, har teen subject incase soci syeholoical scrutiny (eg Rosset a, 1984) We now know that ‘ors ienying people and facet are common, wih portly devastating comequenes for juice In vepots by diferem eyeineses ‘moustche By on and off face, blondes top ito runes and cites ‘Stange color tke chameleons Hats have major ells on recogni, rca of the role ofthe ain in tying faces, Posovent tape ‘ng. both fom inside and oud, ea also alter testimony Frm within, the psycholgial. process of dsonncsredtion his the paroxical elles oF increasing. confidence im accuracy of rovll even while th ‘memory ofthe event i fading rom wile. estimanis can he shaped hy the schematic constants of rarativesutue snd lee psp eve erated by the way they reprobed Crashed) by oes, Soil Science ‘methodology his noted the dubious evidentiary satus ol saements abot ven oe x own ates and opinions From poling. we Know shout scguescence eects the tendency of poops Uo sarc). the huge eet of pissing on reporid opinions. and the divergence between rot door and backdoor measures (Webb eta 198), Fabestion seme inherent inthe leone couping tetncen sentences and the Word: wiinestes ae evadery 8 {alibi transmission and storage medium for sesoryexperence ‘The legal theory of evidence is also compendium of rections about the anjelabity of witnesaee There ela history of excluding people Pater, Winessng m 2 incompetent wineses on various grounds. Non. Christians. conics mie "Sted partes, spouses, children. the ane or ove standing 3 ean fof profesional privilege with the defendant have all been considered Dindered in tathtcling or a possessing speci mest abcation, AS im'survey research the law hasan sete aware abt the ayy the ‘odes of inerroztion eg lading questions) can manic xe an See testimony. Since the ansmation fom experience wo discourse Hs athe fat of ‘onmunicalon theory, tnesng etalle any of the tos fame "tes mth socal fe of sgn. especially how the ra paratype, SUIT of seston can have ay tpt the pole word of ite ‘wor also fowhbental question i mpc philosophy ince Locke 3d Hare). The forensics of the tral the psi ofthe may and dhe ‘nemo of the survivor ate all ates to overpower the melancholy act, {hat dec sensor expenence~ from the tte of peuple to he pans of ftuideh ~ vanutes when put tno words apd eas icresnble fo ‘ther execpt rach a5 he claim to Share sma expenences. Senston ‘Sencicedsto prvately personal onloges Only worde ae pul Pin and te veracity ea | varity of amines have Been offered fo cope wih the fli of Witesing Devi wo compenste fort iherendibouttes ae ance ‘One can vv fe veracity by an oath promising ote dsth opi for tnth 2 pracice Mat persists inthe he's line cose my Dea td hope oie» One may appl 1o ulate authony” “God is my wise According to Assos. witeses sn a cout of lw testy a risk of punishment hy do ot ell the th be considers ded witnesses moe trustworthy. since they canot be bribed (Rhetoric. 1316) To wanes af You were ts dumb and ndifeent a the dead the vows wea. sce ou Would be ee fom intrest. terpeation. ere and spi A sgate testimony: wines set." and Ue al ors of waesing Founders an the ef of foegey. The reqrement of swearing on BIE efor teatiying im cou fe yet anor device to enforce thing presumably by sling the specter fear consequences. A remind of the ancient wony bout comap testimony i the inh Mose coramand ‘mea foriog hse witness (ol the sae thing ar snp yng) From the anciat Greeks to "moder iteligence gtnenng. the effort assure the tansin fom snsain (osentenes in emo hs ave Torre ~ a perese but Hlumisating fact As Pape dBi (1991) artes, the ancient Greek word for tour, Basan exignaliy meant ouch gains which youcoul ub golden aac test they were gee bi bit would mb off and lave a mark From tee. bast cae (272 Media, Calture & Society 236) mean any test of wath oF aubeniiy (eof frends oF fii), and venually moved specially ina frre which served san instrament of root in ancient Athens In Greek ideology, tate Served x ela se ‘viding sloves. wt respect only toy pin and casts. who speak the loos in freedom Since saves supposedly ie compulsively tue expuss the tah by entingashing the ower 9 svet (Here aga me ee the Snohheryatout who ean be expected Yo Be tubal witpese) Tone forces the clam tht slaves are fled by necensty (amanpt) A sve ould not appear sn court. bot a saves testimony obtained unde tortie Swat admissible a evdence Evens. there were already doubt about the ‘otion ht pss produces th Arse (Ratoi. 1377) hough etinony hain under toturesnarste” and genoaly dated texan inn "Te sit ova the conesio a souce of egal poo i 1-centay europe reinveed judi torare It was not understood as a ind of pnghment, bu uel asi may sound, 6 Kind of dat-gaering at Imnocent people might sifer and even die under incrogton was considered an unfortunate by-product of legal investigation (Lange 197; Pete, 1985). Pain was supped to be the midis of ate Sadia torre a6 an attempt to asure the vay of the confession. & ‘ther any way af coping with he veracity pp, Inout gry ge ote is tothe mod of punihacit and of exuacung ieligeace Tack Sena in the French ter la querion, which means both oe snd Intropation. «the English pase, put the question” Even plyep (ext a edeeror tha Greumvents dacoue to tp dct py Jogicalindcaars~ sbows the reueat tothe boy the haven of tah Death confessions possess special legal staus, since the incealve 10 feceive Is tought minimal. AS one judge wot "they We delaatons ‘made in exert. when the pay Is atthe point of dea a when every Hope of thie wid is gone! when every motive to falchood fae Bech silenced. and te mind is induced y the most powerful considerations 10 Speak the wath "(Cros 1974 472) Here agin i the rene tht det DF pin impel the min 16 frog he temptation to eb ‘The badly tsi of stimony sr scen in a ange etymological complex. “Testimony stems for testament, coven (ests plas mentum). Tests hic in Latin means both witness and esl ise stm fram tra Imeaniag hd (pa). Imapeent Greek, the word for witness Is the word Tovtestle: pants. which heal mest bystander. In Gena, Zeer ‘cane tesiny, and zeugen ans to tet 2 well to prctee, he explanation ofthis pervasive and ed ssn of metaphors oscar, Mak fone may conjecture tat the testicles, > plyscal by anders t the ct of procreation, were (ought witnesses af pater owns ado Europes fre: Tht knowing Gisthand should be aoc with tho tenles ‘may suggest a0 ances preference lo the testimony of en over women Petr, Mimessing ns “This carious web of meuphors, weve i significance. atest some dep sung sbout he pyc of wnessng. Te Body seven = Sor ot calltera oly te tun of eur eedece The whole apart Ur uying fo assue uhbines, fom tora o manjdom to coro fronedr only tes oe avange ck a core Witnessing cee ut wo rfc if tre anno wise, there oi a ines do tor secre aconnton or sql A tess neve cools. ofl este he moat min temp of ays or tres © mae 30. ‘note ancien stent Douly 0 bie the pap between inet con vicion and ene ean the taion of Chase marley AS Pat Ricoeur aps 98 129) “Te wines cpl offering of ing fr what he tees Whe thee ‘Wreoaicionfatames the pace of the macs changes hat ame. be ‘atc may urs cane ne” = Maras Git mest ns ‘To judge fom aypearinss i the fue ofall who hve 1 ey on com thunleaton for atc to shee expnences The mag's deat pois ng for cern, bat Jemonsraes the hniesse of perwasion. te “ising yo wtich pootsopr and credence exis. Sams Stephen tr Sebati ovr secular equa the many pic marys whose Sfpscies ae so_powerfl tousy. may impres bystanders wi heir Compose undrtbe mot ricsome abuses tu he deaths alone wll ot omrince tayo ote th ofthe fh: one sed ital grounds for ecrng. To bew wines 1 to pot one's body onthe ne Within every Sines, petups stands 2 ary. the wil to conobore words wih meting yon them. psi ad dea cng at eos ‘Sine he Second Word War ew kings of winesng ve ben fxg in te face o sfering, The Holocaust hos generated exp ding ‘Sout te at of ting Flan nd Lab. 192) Ki sing the way, Ut Elie 2000), despite his nce comments on psychoanalytic trevtingshough of coun andthe comply of they stand. hay Tetons the Hobeast~ erage esse i 00 obvious. In any ee fm ses and el ae cea weve wine pray. to pclaim expences ia cannot be sar md 0 amore cre tht ungjey ued tothe moral Risa the wha weet dah then, Ee Wiesel fr insance. ba made hit cer relting on the preg? tnd lances the survivor. One's responsibilty (0 bear wines. fe Argues camo fe elegaed.fesiony funigue tothe suet. Imps for the wis fo emsin sea Bu it sao impossible sires to desc the even. Te militaney inthe sunivor's woe ome Ube bate pant olvion ad ndfrece Such taney sound 0s Ine mary, who iene west o het by a spectacle of al omc the Consence ofthe obscverAeady having ees ahnM Media, Culture & Society 2416) uevivor sks wo se his or er expenences (or ter: who can never have then ‘Specialy, de witness has become a lerary gee growing oMt ofthe Segond Word War Primo Lev. Anse Frank. Vier Klempee Wiese. 10 rca few have he cla aunty of witnesses of aro. As survors| ‘events they i nba active nes which we atone trove, can 9 turn wines pasvely There is sage eal ca inthe voce of the vitim. Winesing in this sense sopgens morally juste ind ‘tho speaks ot spsiat unjust power Imagine 2 Nat who published his tren of the war one ~ mug Be aeeepted asm aecout Of xperioces. but never a6 3 wines vn te moa ene: 1 wits means to be on the NM side. Viclav Havel, Jacobo Timennan. Rigoberta Mench, Maria Lather King Solztentyn, Mandela, Aung San Sas Kyi ~ thone who have Lnguithe ja ll sta miteste gaia inhumanity (Cevimonio is recent geare of Latin Ammedcan wing which recon the ery aprnst oppression) The prison (or pron camp) 16 the house of ‘tines. a rake of moral authority, jot a pon Brae has trned out to be ane af th get forms of 2h-cetary wring, The moral piileg of the copve and inary founding narrative n Earpean cvizabon, ss Inte cae of both Sorat and Jesus, No sorprsngly thor has ocr Smmthing of « srunble to cpt the prvige af the vic wetness. ‘moa wo speak oftheir oles witnesaes age not mune (A recent book fon the making of Schindler Lisi etenouly called Wrest. confsing {helm ana what he Rm was about) "Wimessing places mocal bodes tn time, To witness always involves sk potently wo have your life changed. The Roman poet Ovi bemoaned hie banishment to the Black Ses for seeing something in te emperors fourt he wasn't supposed to, You can be tarked for life by beg the ‘vines of an event THe FBI runs the evoctively tamed "winess po- {ccm progr proving personal secuny and sometimes ew dees {or those milling wo turn sate wise, Abram Zaprader tomes (ad his hes ae now nh) fora Tew seconds af home-mave fatage of 2 presidental parade i Dlls on 22 November 1963. In Graham Greene's Urighion Rock the gangtr Pinky mars the oly wines o a marr Be ommied in oder oak be. 4 wife, an incompetent wines, bot of fours. 3b unl ip Gcene a sot of redemption gees via the eorrption ‘That simply seeing can mak your bodily fate is suggestive Way Of sting beyond the ides of mere spelalosip. In tm, the indsputble of pin and det can sore asa esouce to peruade there ofthe th of one's words of wines, Wane 1s Frode of sornmuicateninmatly ted tothe morality of bath the coe ‘tho beat sites and tbe one Who a try wibesses at ac AS Jonge als Borges (1968: 24) writes: Petr, Miesing ns Dads wich ppt dimensions of pace ad wich ath ei end when ear iste mort, bron a" le sof ‘Rope fl tangle time threw a ay hat xing ee tte Re fu of Zi and he ve eens wats iocsing. as we wl ee, tony ts on the moray ofthe wines butte conungene sof he event ‘Objectivity and the versely gap [A diferem uadtion seks to secure the val of saements witout the ‘eapnpsical and moral conundrams of pun. Very roughly speaking, te ‘fot put testimony on sound fog ts 2 project ofthe Engh ‘Meat, So inthe elo to minimize violence afd to secure tustworthy Tmmiedge Indes one of the major sks Inthe nie of melee since feral, with is ned for comulauve observation fom many eyes and Exr was to overcome te low repute of tesiony. This mas ea chine ‘SrTancecmuary England wit the ccaon ofa gene! class of sien, \Ghoue share soil statue and norms of civ establised a basis for tuning each cts repr (Shapn. 1998) As ope schol quips ofthe pinelogy of tesineny early modern Englnh secs. genmcn ‘fete gumigmen (Lipton 1998) Without ist i oes statements abot Coon eqperenas sence se we know # would be imposible Fares, the eof selene isrumentaon was moivated infty the desi bypass the sane of subject, fbb and rest ut ach 0 oar oe organs, Seentie msrment such as the microscope oF tlscope ‘Mere hough thing ike. and hence credible nt inderence to human Incrests The cana sod microphone inci this ition of objec 8 posi "bn Locke exmplis these transformations. I his Essay Concerning Haman Understanding (1978. book 4 chs 13-16), Locks inverse Inedicval mon of testy. be mimes is notte autonty of at con text uc a sep Bot the rept he snses. Few ts. De Iguchi hiram hnowedge are demonstrably cen. As social creates ‘tt hed me to gin knowledge of 2 word in comin. we rely 00 Ihe copra of thse but mst fed ays Lo test thir testo ‘none the vastus standards he offers. hey is a hierarchy of testimony ddzcmine! by te wines proninty 10 the event any Testimony, Farr off iis fom the ginal Tra de Tes force and roo sas (97S es-a), Eyewiness accounts Tose eh Bat my gai cole) a hey ae fom mouth fo mouth ‘cee Mar vg Rooney of spd aa a SESSA Siete setts comteie (816 Media. Cubare & Society 216) Locke notes already the infite egress in witnessing. we an active nes reques another to wise your testimony (a passive Wines) Locks refs the low egal tts of easy the reporting of trent ple by somone ele oasige coun witht the opporamty for cross tamintion “Any stement not made i cian ander oaths of doious dmvsuiblity Hearsay quotation testimony al econd and Each sentence ‘Stspponed toe fanded by Uict sensation. and wh reporting anothers ‘pot mea pstive wie oan active ess ised ofthe reves. ‘thch is dangerously derivative. The low exeem i which ary Bld Sieals no only the birch of the seman (he precedence of ees vee fens) ba an the working tpetenelogy of the enuoow the act Of inking expentace and diacoue must be done in scone seting 1 vb speech sujet to crot-examiaton and pele for peru re In ore inthis the low sl rine respect fr deah or pana th Serve, Wiese bore wer snc ~ the of pi det or egl ‘hares and ishonoe. One testifies quite healy sw poena ~ ude heat ‘of punishment Winescs can find temselves Soy compelled Yo appear tn court dest ake a Foucnl to soe that oda witness policed a ie boundanes by an parte of pin gal vet reer amechanis wisest A wits or nce. may Bt ler a opinion (abou exipbity.foe instance) bu may nly desc the facts of what was seen The Banker the ines he Bete. Ting, fer (hn bet witese =the bla soe af wie, optics o ther sot of ‘mal evidence (bloods). The ideal hua woes would Behave ikea ting'a mere bea ecoring. The suture of assim testieny shoul be radically open and publi. not varying the sory for diferent Senses. (Estopel the legal principle that greventsaterng testimony revowy given) Since a dumb winss doesnt know ‘what = 3 sake "here sn mative t lend comfort tone party othe ter Te the preference for the dumb srnes lies data origin of bah Seite Sn yume eas abject the aberver ta mierda {the microscope tan oncees or consequcces The objective witness 15 very diferent fee the survivor howe witness es in mot ngage ‘ment withthe wry tld. The obecive wines clans dserbodineat ad assviy, a cold indfereace tothe sory ofeing ast the Tacs The eres have to compos the sry for Usted seme, the eat {o abject ts simply paste winesing sealed tf the een of ‘tn anata od pli rocrd of evr a they ‘ely happened THe ‘ula autbonty of mechanical reoedng is sn th clam to document ‘vent wibout the Ger of subjective expenence.Sioee witnesses were SSponed to be like machines machines ae alo Held o be god witness ‘The conventional wadom about Bin and photography today. however. the iexeapablty of imerest in all representation. What mont ike. the Tends of tlens and reason ~ Lake's Reis ~ about ths positon Pt 50 Pee. Wiesing um nach the moon tata consensual an objective document of events is Inipssibe at wert darker cola: tht pain serves a te deta tomate of reality and athens. We Were. ey sy suposed to Rave sraduated from al hat Hroadeasting ane the veracity gap Distance is grand of dss and doubt. We waver about anater's {esimony beats of ou istnce from Ihe experience they arate In the ‘Sine arpa from dtiotperonae ae more duvons tan those fom ‘opie we know tad wt The eommanieaton sation of roadeasng 1 Petlopous co thatof wnesing:eapenonees are med (0 an acne Stich has no fis hand aequantance with them. The lepitimaton of the racy gap medi followed the sae path arin wirosng- sig pt nth body sa aterion of wath etnaless. The body athens las eluge Ta satons of stra do. Perape the best single hing Wialer Cronkite evr di for his rputation of ered, besies te Yeas of steady sevice, wast shed a uncer tea o camera when report Ing the nowt of Fcadem Kennedys assasinaion tn the Gospel of Lake. {Cleats dips ere stared and tered. and thoupat Bat Wey were Seeing a how (ke 2437) The resected Jess sures then. Handle tne and tee ors ghost docs mot have eh and bones as you ee th have’ (lake 2439). Modem moiia - whch resunect and wansport ‘nso n otal and acoustic cnn ~ bok place usin he station [St doabing Thomas spd atempl a sma ecssuance: handle te and 3 (eses 1999), ‘Ove ofthe mon daring things s2 media events theory (Dayan and Kaz, 1990) ithe quesbon jas when ean media be spent of th or beni instead of prevarzation ad ieolgy? In other words, can the media ss tin the pret of wanessing? The notion tat ome acces could be tritocrct one of those apparent category estas whose elaboration te Thofis event maveren har made as tk ICS casy wo rack Romld Reagan for confining newsece and his own experince he clsined © hve witesed te bran ofthe conerraton carps in th Second ‘World Wor when he hd never lef the United Stats. He bebved in fae presence’ that be had ely Been there won be bad only watched His. ur prsenceateditance t precuely what wanesing 4 media even ‘lain to ofr Creal theory ss ighily highlighted te veracity gap In rate communion. the hemeneuc of suspicion. but media even dissed the conditions va which he willing suspension of dite {Sj In wedia events the bonowed eyes and cry of the media ‘come, however tenttvely or dangerously. one's own. Deh, dstnee ‘hd dst re a spend, fr pood std vine Media, Calure & Sociery 2316) Singliriy is key 10 the communication seomomics of witnessing Preset Clinton came to my hare twa Towa Cay Towa fo example a Feraary 1996. ona campaign stop. and spoke in an indoor arena, The ‘whole event wae fo be televised Tol. ut the tickets were snapped up sein tw howe. Why the excitement 10 send when one Ould Bo 8 {eer view or ievinion at home? Bec at home you en bea witness 10 hit. If Citon were tobe shot. or make @ major anpoucement eve could say. was here” Tht woul bea witness forever heres Fest © 14000 peopl i they are hooes, whereas we ome viewers. ‘mt larger and potently ite grog, would any Be ale toy. 7 Sai on flevion Thte's no eamparson sh the athaty octal pal ofthe wo satements! lion's gal after the speeth Ws touch tsimany people as posible to pret he charisma ofthe king's Body by ‘working the ero the ap om of "penng the flesh A ive wibess am shake an withthe great man, este the ch of comaious magi inthe same way tht Clio shook JFK's hand ay tenagerCucly For hi on camer) “Handle ms nd ses the mun we Kaow os 254 ‘TV person. Being Tee’ mati ince i avo the onologia! depreciation of| ‘being copy The copy ke easy is edetitely repeatable the evens Singui and He winter ae forever anepaceale in thee peleped ‘elton tot Reeoring lose the eet mane ofthe event. The Lie ever is ‘open to unerped happenings chance nd yates. Accident are 4 Key pa ‘Of medi evens ~ going of Sc That o mac of ie coverage involves ome sn of wauna siggess the draw’ ofthe unpredictable and of those fccurencer tht leave 3 mark in tne. Media events are not slays the apy social body eeebraing its coe values, but aso the sy tll of Aegrastion and dss (Care. 1998: Liebe. 1998). Presence i rail and morta: recoding have drab that survives in tnulpe tines and spaces Billions of doa i the exert ins thes tum on this apprenty minute distinction Why wl people pay high Prices fr manic performed im cineert whose ult a ph is often Sousr onthe CD plyer at home? Obviusly ext-tuial values nape once going: pan}. spect wes, dane. Even so ive musi flee, ‘A concert tm event not a recor, A home-made booteg Tape 1s a ouvert « marie of time aod place, bol 2 CD made fom he pe is & ommodiy. even if hey are musiealy wena. In concer e's mera ‘ine fine‘on cath is spent. Touch and epe-contact wilh the ak are possible So perfection in the cone one may car rinse oat {the stil. and winess the hor of the pecTorming body What post Production adds musialy (x. overdubing) Wt subtracts ffom event few. ioe thew suns gever could ve accused i ine as we ow Recording media con do timeats manipulation stoping, sown, speed Ingo reversing tne ~ oe reason why suchvisal med despite apie ter, Mimestng 29 tn recording, ae dubious wiesses, The body, however lives Oly i el tie. Singing. dancing and live performance all engage time's paage ‘Music ean reveat the meaning of and sometimes even provide tet escape fom grow ng older. Why ven? “The love of liveness also celates the power of real ime Hone sei lve one can clasts wits present inte if mtn spate one secs on tie, one i ao longer wines, But ube the peripient of3| tracripion, Spt fins, the cane of tg games, wil rea ued 10 the television soe. eventhough te} now that any Key plays wil be Shown ad nausea inthe game's series reportage abd vdeo. They Imus be there ait happens. "To se the big moment wih evo a slight (ay is to be pled i's desvatve cle, a earr of repo ater tan {hvitess of neve The fan was ob involved n istory ie happen) fot historiography (he recor) The few seconds Betcen oeeurenee {iu eplay open up meapkyiel gull the meaning apd quality of what ‘Scent fara the sleeomapnci uacings are concerted he ve ven fds intansepay se det. but hte papcology ofthe fa one Fistor. the fer i tlevon. One i 2 window to the event be ter ie representation. Liveres serves a an assurance of aces wo uh and sient “The hid core ot fan sweating te seconde actully offers profound teson about the natre of time Why should Hoenese mate” It docs rate. 40 the tae of ilione of dollars im bis fr lve Highs. Because rons oly tupgen in the preset In a word gambling AS Waker Benjamin sod. gambling i 3 panasmagana of tne. No oae knows wht the ftre fds and the gambler nfres he pesos withthe dey Tess of the fate Tete i absolutely no postin betng on 8 gue oF Fhce whoveoucose Iv aleay Known, clause eo, then The Sing tet insite 4 sal ime Tog sn pubiciing race reals so ha pre ink ty sre beting oman uncertain future when infact hey are MSacenng on an dieady determined pas A few seconds do wate. and Frotoundy,"The pst tp some sensei fe The present. in cones ‘Bfastophi, sujet to rail aleratons Ina single second 2 swerve of the seeing wher or pull of the tngger can change sory foeer Posibe fates come into Being ad vanish with every acta ich ‘moment the pnaty Hick i made or mised, ae eonceved ken. Al Fistor coma the present moment. OF eure the preset i ey {0 dame. but without live connection its explosive posbiy — i linger ~ is mining, Noting que exces ke an event abou oak placeno. Media, Culare & Society 236) In Raymond Willams’ phrase one wats fra knock onthe Jor. Foran, ‘goddes of histor an! gables, reveals her face oly the present th tse veils ese as necessity the Fate s probability “The conta between the live an the fended #sratunng prime cof broadcasting. It replays the conta of fat sod icon, 0 rata to ‘modern histonoglpy- 2 Held. ike Tow and Deology, whove enteric ‘ests the evaluation of sources and decuments~ teximonies Though Uieorst july remiod os of the fatality of Acton and the fewe thrster of fats thi const story rest teal mootion The ‘vs of ft nd con, central for stra an pot fan. wll ‘the srstring pris of mdi and erry gene, son wien ‘An event rogues winesact sory only nes ers and seers A lewom canbe heard or ol. ta fact i witnessed. Some hinds of events (hapiams, mariage) legally require witeser Testimony sues = filer often ask abo stones = that realy happened. Historic (or Mista! authentiay) has a autlar Logic 1 live cover sage Ifa vasiing te Tomer of London fam fl that 3 bck of wood i {he one on which Henry Vil’ vicume wete dpc. [wl ct an ee! Aierenty thn if Lea the block ie replica even if wi pyc ‘dental or equly ol. The block hovers ims ino Between reality and {ake is metas satis depeting on sething 40 sight a «caption The caption “rea ce 1 2 tadtion of tesimony passed cross the everson ap accamalain of time that inks the block ison Yo the fen IF i as the ogi Tabel I can poner eying lessons about frermeening power nd lok for aces of many's Mood: {wil ive ‘work a Tot hae i the eapuon announces that i's only figurative. Live Frondcesing. lke objets cered as torical, offer the. chance 0 ites. While recoded tna snds at ene romiows as a represetaon (eplea) of events ether about sath rade edition in Our pos moder age to punctre the dea that sory fce of wepcettation. 50 ‘hat mt the pon. Rater. Wt lo teal sll intone shout wha ‘eal in eur mater. diinctons to often waiten off enero oe feushism as insight ito sbuctures of sty and experience. Btwn te nso dhe sensi ies a smal but ign gop hao extimony ‘OF four basic typ of tlatons to a event tres ea sustin the tide fof a wiinss To be ete. present atthe chen Hn space and ime the Padi case. Tobe present im time But removed in space = the coniion OT iveness. sunt arose space. To he resent apace Hat removed ‘a ume i the condition of hitoea epresetation here isthe posbiy ‘of simultaeity acess tne a wines hat lps he ages. To be absent ih ‘oth epuce tnd ime But sil ave acess 1 ah event vine taces isthe ‘inditonof receding: the profane zone im which the atid of witnessing ‘stdest to stan (ee Table Pe, Wearing nm ‘TAnLE (Gedo ine) Aner insrase | Gilet sates Dupe pve ane Se tno TWeweicas Plo wns et Fact and fiction, gain nd tine [Ukimacy, he boundary between fact and ftom 2 tial one Before it isan epeemologeal oe. it consists in Baving respect forthe pan of| ‘cis in being te by silane, however las 1 somcone els tion af how they hur, We may weep in reading of the slaughter of te Innocents by King Hered. ht mt ote nahing beer remembrance ‘ive pain tiles Simutanevor sullenng forms te boozen of respon” hvepes mates forthe ving” Facts impose moral and poli obligation hat eons ono. This the aint eal prable of {Tagedy why peopl take peur sn sighs du woul terior gust them inveallife Anstoll's Poses star th debt abot why we ake peau io Aepctions ot viokce and harman sufleing Inge. the representation ‘of pn (and pin deitnal or te gene) is na supposed to excite te Spector to amantaan service but slanty tough repesalaon wat ‘Sos fe The rama offers ror witout danger py without Jy “Toe awareness of fe unealty release rom mal obpaton te sl Tere we behold, Fiction Inks the resporbity of eompbety that Fis takes dtintional for wnesung Ax David Hume reared (1987). ‘ota ht the ane oot des, which plese 3 wapedy, wer it fel st before tt would give the most wnlegned woeasinss.” Factual ‘hess calls for ca ai, of our apreciton- ou du. ot our ese Deaths meaning in fcnon 1 mars the passage of time. pushes te swcked piv elon to events Buti fact deah isa nk, completely beyond meaning. "Noting brings them tack. neither love no a Tey can ‘do tang to you. They ae ae noting’ (Conta, 1921) The cones ofa ‘dations ess to wh ileret oder of tt than wh whos btn Sd wen Living people's ui is news: dead people's pain ssn itis easy to mace fon ofthe obsession to keep opt date wih the as -erogaud suggested that we ues ll news 3H Bad happened 50m Media, Care & Society 236) years ago we wouK! sound is re imporance Hei ight abou vay tht mises what hei 0 Meld abo Cewhere the preset omc he pot of decision We have to keep up withthe ward Breast We we. it Segoe complicated way. responsible to actin and we can only ati he pst We fee uly about hut pope in news notin fon lms. Pin Separates fact from Sctone Face e winessed, fctons ae mart. suo my inde ngpre us oacUon. but he Bede report aus Live" coverage of global srow is ec realcivattecuse {fact me are not protected by the theses teleolopealsapension of he Ethel (Kiehepsard) hoc patil moto dy to tin ler We find aurseve in the postion of spectators a drama without the tet of Knowing ta te sufering i unveal. Hence the unfelgeed ness (Hume) we face ie watching the ws. We fel a grucsone Fascination for tra, witht the exoneration of Knowing ial an ‘exyetimen in mimesis. We ae witnesses without banal. nally, the curious thing abut wtesing is etre characte. he Jeslosy the present has Yor the past. The resent may be the point of ‘econ, tat i always andcesnfrmed abou what wil coe after, Mo ‘bserves don’ krow thy are winestcs when the even is pening: they (ae cle afer he fat Art quantativeillenace septs wl we fxpennce and what we ae summoned lo witness. ‘There's lot move Serato around than stories fo testing we must take responsiblity for ‘what we ance tok le respacsbiy or. We must report on events the dene of which have assumed x massive an imgrtance they wee ee "eva, What ine did you calc the bus? Whar color was the car? What ind of sho was dhe defendant wearing? In wimessng we lok backwards ‘or events we id tot realize we were cbervng.revonng deleted les {fom memory. We don't know that what me noise or nelet may be the eyo prson and iter forsomeane "Te presenti Bind 1 wha the futue wil value We it notice the hater hat sed the typhoon, Hence the msi. found in berlin. extent and Cian ‘cology ali. tat tthe dat f everyone tobe vii! ~ toe ea to and a6 wines at any tne or place Tetlying has the ature of ‘epentnce:retosavely caring about whit we were once sues Of A Iter momen revit an cer one im which concourness mar ot Fly wake The wine's lade fo sensation (real sipaee) pee oper ‘withthe fase aneor atte to tine (Weang te preset eH was bring witnessed ro the Fue) Tp withess i fo wish hat the record of the past were more woe, and 0 gasp his lesson now 10 live vigilant tormake the present worthy a we imagine comerplating i om 8 future Pot To cope with ur ity i the presen. we can a least be avake Every act pate one inthe wstnes box. both seing and saying In Chi schitlogy this aude is dramatized by the nation of 4 Last Judgent that cals up the whole history of the Wood as jue amd witness. Tn Pots, Winessing ms Nictche' though tis the notion ofthe eteral seu, sting inthe Present 50 tat te action could be cially pete (and woesed) Witout reget Inevenday civ ology sti the des a eizens have 2 uy tobe taforned aout the evens of the ay. Tn pase al broad feasts Would ends an eth pogis to Mathew 2813 tbe moo of esing should be: “Watch, heteore for you know neither the day noe the bour wherein fe event wil come References fam 1 nh a te ty ae A ttt Se Oe capi ich a tg ome 1 Gon kyl aut cae ea Se ose eee FEN SP ae DS men of ty Cee ee Tea omy nat rs tL eno a mtr Ta ina ee Ra EE ant fant trian “Boat Gort eb ee ee er ee TT a com (Send ton iy Ree ES i mt te EE cece te nani. 9 at ate Re, Rahs Rae TY ume doles Speartras sO tt rat ames ny cor sl etc a eres SRS ae sae oct TL sans Se Eee ey orem Eee Seams sarees John Durham Putrs is curently Professor of Communication Studies ihe Univer of wa ‘Address: Deparient of Communication Stes. University of fava low Cy. 14 52282-1098, USA. femal jpeers@blue weeg wows ed