Media and the construction of memory: The case of the Arboleda massacre in Colombia

On 29 July 2000, the ninth and 47th fronts of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) stormed the town of Arboleda (Colombia) and bombarded its population. In this massacre, seventeen people died and the town was nearly completely destroyed. Media across the country reported this massacre, and people repudiated the event. This viewpoint article reflects on this particular episode of violence to analyse the role of media in the formation of collective memory. The reflections in this case study will show how media, in the context of conflict, may contribute to the victims’ doing of memory by telling stories about that conflict. However, by focusing on the storytelling aspects of conflict, media may also contribute to constructing a depolitized memory.