@incollection{fdi:010067136,
  title = {{N}umbers count : dead bodies, statistics, and the politics of armed conflicts},
  author = {{P}{\'e}rouse de {M}ontclos, {M}arc-{A}ntoine},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}his strategic analysis of the body count introduces a general discussion on the measurement of war violence and excess mortality, its treatment by the media, humanitarian organisations, governments and the military, and its legal and political implications. {I}t also examines narratives that contribute to inflate or minimize the statistics of excess mortality in armed conflicts. {E}motion, the myth of a golden age, humanitarian advocacy, the political economy of the media, military propaganda, the visibility of certain battles and methodological issues all play an important role in this regard. {M}any factors push journalists and relief workers to choose the highest estimates of excess mortality. {H}owever, inflated figures desensitize the public to mass atrocities, encourage a dynamic where high numbers are required to justify action, and challenge the credibility of population studies and advocacy groups.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {{V}iolence, statistics, and the politics of accounting for the dead},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {47--69},
  address = {{C}ham},
  publisher = {{S}pringer},
  series = {{D}emographic {T}ransformation and {S}ocio-{E}conomic {D}evelopment},
  year = {2016},
  DOI = {10.1007/978-3-319-12036-2_3},
  ISBN = {978-3-319-12035-5},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010067136},
}