Stories without borders : the Berlin Wall and the making of a global iconic event

General Information

Author/Creator
Sonnevend, Julia, author.
Language
English.
Published
New York, N.Y. : Oxford University Press, 2016.
Physical Description
217 p. ; 24 cm.

Contents/Summary

Summary
"An illustration of the ways in which people construct global iconic events through the case study of the fall of the Berlin Wall"--
" How do stories of particular events turn into global myths, while others fade away? What becomes known and seen as a global iconic event? In Stories without Borders, Julia Sonnevend considers the ways in which we recount and remember news stories of historic significance. Focusing on journalists covering the fall of the Berlin Wall and on subsequent retellings of the event in a variety of ways--from Legoland reenactments to slabs of the Berlin Wall installed in global cities--Sonnevend discusses how certain events become built up so that people in many parts of the world remember them for long periods of time. She argues that five dimensions determine the viability and longevity of international news events. First, a foundational narrative must be established with certain preconditions. Next, the established narrative becomes universalized and a mythical message developed. This message is then condensed and encapsulated in a simple phrase, a short narrative, and a recognizable visual scene. Counter-narratives emerge that reinterpret events and in turn facilitate their diffusion across multiple media platforms and changing social and political contexts. Sonnevend examines these five elements through the developments of November 9, 1989--what came to be known as the fall of the Berlin Wall. Stories Without Borders concludes with a discussion of how global iconic events have an enduring effect on individuals and societies, pointing out that after common currencies, military alliances, and international courts have failed, stories may be all that we have to bring hope and unity"--

Subjects

Subject
Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1989 > Press coverage.
Collective memory > History > 20th century.
Transnationalism > History > 20th century.
Journalism > Social aspects > History > 20th century.
Journalism > Political aspects > History > 20th century.
Narration (Rhetoric) > Social aspects > History > 20th century.
Narration (Rhetoric) > Political aspects > History > 20th century.
Storytelling > Social aspects > History > 20th century.
Storytelling > Political aspects > History > 20th century.

Bibliographic Information

Responsibility
Julia Sonnevend.
Content
1. Events in Media -- 2. Global Iconic Events : The Five Dimensions of Transnational Storytelling -- 3. Foundation -- 4. Mythologization -- 5. Condensation -- 6. Counter-narration -- 7. Remediation -- 8. Stories Without Borders : Thinking With Global Iconic Events -- Notes on Research Methods.
Available in another form
Online version: Sonnevend, Julia, author. Stories without borders New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2016] 9780190604325 (DLC) 2016019889
ISBN
9780190604318
9780190604301

Holdings

Item Type Current Location Collection Call Number Volume Info Shelving Location Public Note
BookOSA Archivum LibraryGeneral collection943/.155087 SONGeneral Stacks-

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