Pérouse de Montclos Marc-Antoine auteur aut IRD text bookSection eng text/pdf born digital access This 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. It also examines narratives that contribute to inflate or minimize the statistics of excess mortality in armed conflicts. Emotion, 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. Many factors push journalists and relief workers to choose the highest estimates of excess mortality. However, 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. specialized 114 108 020 Pérouse de Montclos Marc-Antoine ed. edt IRD Minor E. ed. edt IRD Sinha S. ed. edt IRD 4 47-69 Cham Springer 2016 4 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010067136 10.1007/978-3-319-12036-2_3 978-3-319-12035-5 [F A010067134] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010067136 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2023-02/010067136.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2016-06-06 2025-12-15 fdi:010067136 fre