Odearism is a term coined by influential documentary film maker Adam Curtis to describe the way in which certain political situations (military conflicts and other social problems) breed a sense of political apathy by the way they are described and represented in the media.
The clip was shown on Charlie Brooker's Newswipe where it is explained with Curtis' usual clear, straightforward articulation.
Essentially, it describes situations that become so complex with bad guys on both sides of any struggle to the extent that they can no longer be broadcast simply as political struggles with a clearly identified binary opposition between evil powerful dominant elite groups against the powerless and ultimately moral resistant forces. Where both victims and oppressors are both viewed as evil, traditional representations invented in the media are left redundant. Then we are exposed only to human beings cruelty towards each other. We can only feign sympathy with the response "Oh dear" as the only action that helps us sleep at night.
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU4AZdxwzrM&feature=related