Representing the Marginalized. A Critical Interrogation of (Self-)Representation

This contribution connects post- and decolonial theoretical perspectives on “representation” with previous communications research to explore how journalism can—or cannot—produce spaces for subversive speaking and listening. Specifically, we focus on moments of tension and negotiation surrounding the reporting on colonial and racial injustices in German journalism. The article addresses two main questions: (1) What patterns of (post-)colonial representation appear in journalistic reporting on racist and colonial injustices? (2) How do these patterns shape the speaking positions from which formerly colonized subjects can or cannot speak and be heard in journalistic reporting? These questions are answered through two critical discourse analyses, focusing on coverage of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests in Germany and the German-Namibian negotiations over reparations for colonial genocide. The analysis reveals three representational patterns that continue to restrict how members of Germany’s Black community and Namibia’s Indigenous communities are represented in German media coverage: homogenization, irritation, and containment. The findings highlight the urgent need to reorient contemporary journalism within the context of colonial power structures.