Guardare e agire: la dimensione etica nella rappresentazione mediale dell'Altro

The article, starting from the sociological concept of the foreign, discusses literature, both theoretical and empirical, about distant suffering; it assumes the presence of a relevant polarization between closeness and distance in the media representation of suffering others. Through an analysis based on a qualitative sample of Italian newspapers, the article then deals with representation strategies of the distant Other in press images and with their ethical implications. Following Kurasawa’s typology, four types are exemplified: personification, massification, rescue and care. In the sample, an iconic narration of a collective subject mostly appears, thus leaving pity and compassion in the background. Finally, the transition from spectatorship to active subject is discussed: solidarity through images can be encouraged if an affective closeness is promoted, by means of specific portraits of subjects and of rescue and care situations.