Attached Or Detached? Subjective Methods in War Journalism
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives Attached or Detached? Subjective Methods in War Journalism By Helle Sjøvaag Master thesis submitted as partial requirement of the Master program in Media Studies at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies at the University of Bergen, Norway. 1 February 2005 Acknowledgements I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Martin Eide for his excellent job as supervisor, and for his outstanding support and expert help on this thesis. Thanks also to my proof readers Marit Sjøvaag Marino, Thomas Owren, Ane Børhaug and Liss Gøril Anda. Furthermore, Thomas Owren deserves an award for his support in this process, especially for his patience, his contribution, and his overall brilliant way of helping me. i CHAPTER 1................................................................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 PURPOSE OF STUDY ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 THE OBJECT OF STUDY ................................................................................................................................2 1.3 THESIS OUTLINE .......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 2................................................................................................................................................................. 5 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 JUSTIFICATION FOR FIELD OF RESEARCH ..................................................................................................... 6 2.3 THE ACADEMIC TRADITION......................................................................................................................... 7 2.4 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................... 10 2.5 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER 3............................................................................................................................................................... 12 A HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF WAR JOURNALISM........................................................................................ 12 3.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 12 3.2 THE BEGINNING OF A PROFESSION: THE CRIMEAN WAR (1854-1856) ...................................................... 12 3.3 THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR (1861-1865) .................................................................................................. 13 3.4 THE FIRST WORLD WAR (1914-1918) ....................................................................................................... 14 3.5 THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (1936-1939)...................................................................................................... 15 3.6 THE VIETNAM WAR (1961-1970) .............................................................................................................. 17 3.7 THE FALKLANDS WAR (1982) ................................................................................................................... 19 3.8 THE PERSIAN GULF WAR (1991) ............................................................................................................... 21 3.9 THE BOSNIAN WAR (1992-1995)............................................................................................................... 23 3.10 POST 11 SEPTEMBER COVERAGE (2001).................................................................................................... 24 3.11 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 4............................................................................................................................................................... 27 NEW METHODS OF WAR JOURNALISM.......................................................................................................... 27 4.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................... 27 4.2 SUBJECTIVE APPROACHES IN HISTORY ...................................................................................................... 28 4.3 COMMON ACTS OF SUBJECTIVITY.............................................................................................................. 29 4.3.1 Carrying Firearms ............................................................................................................................... 30 4.3.2 Aiding Wounded and Helping Civilians............................................................................................... 33 4.3.3 Partisanship and Espionage................................................................................................................. 35 4.3.4 100 Years of Subjectivity ...................................................................................................................... 38 4.4 THE CONTROVERSY OF SUBJECTIVE METHODS OF WAR JOURNALISM ...................................................... 38 4.5 THE JOURNALISM OF ATTACHMENT .......................................................................................................... 40 4.5.1 Significant Adversaries ........................................................................................................................ 40 4.5.2 Debating Ideology................................................................................................................................ 41 4.5.3 Journalism According to Bell............................................................................................................... 42 4.5.4 Hume Versus Bell................................................................................................................................. 44 4.5.5 Summary............................................................................................................................................... 50 4.6 PEACE JOURNALISM................................................................................................................................... 50 4.6.1 Journalism According to Lynch ........................................................................................................... 51 4.6.2 Practising the Method .......................................................................................................................... 52 4.6.3 Criticising Peace Journalism ............................................................................................................... 55 4.6.4 Summary............................................................................................................................................... 57 4.7 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................. 57 ii CHAPTER 5............................................................................................................................................................... 59 WAR JOURNALISM AND PROFESSIONAL IDEOLOGY................................................................................ 59 5.1 THE PROFESSIONAL IDEOLOGY OF WAR JOURNALISM............................................................................... 59 5.2 OBJECTIVITY AS PROFESSIONAL IDEAL...................................................................................................... 60 5.3 THE IDEALS OF THE FOURTH ESTATE AND PERSONAL ENGAGEMENT........................................................ 62 5.4 THREATS TO THE FIELD ............................................................................................................................. 63 5.5 WAR JOURNALISM IDEOLOGY.................................................................................................................... 65 5.6 SUBJECTIVE IDEOLOGY.............................................................................................................................. 66 5.7 SUSTAINING THE FIELD.............................................................................................................................. 68 5.8 IN BREACH OF IDEOLOGY .........................................................................................................................