A comparison of Irish and British press coverage of two violent events during the Northern Ireland Conflict 1968-1998
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Authors
Carroll, Alan
Issue Date
2007
Degree
BA (Hons) in Journalism
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
'The very nature of war confuses the role of the journalist' was a comment once made by journalist Kate Adie (1998 in Allan and Zelizer 2004). In this study, I will examine how newspaper coverage examined two violent events during the Northern Ireland Conflict which started in 1968 and ended in 1998 with the signing of the Belfast Agreement. The two events both marked watersheds for the separate communities and I will examine how representative newspapers from these communities examined an act of violence against people who shared a similar desire for belonging in their separate states. I will examine if bias was evident in these reports and after my analysis. I will look at the theories and views expressed by authors and theorists who have studied journalism and the conflict in Northern Ireland and ascertain if my analysis results are comparable to their writings and theories.