Ireland: The Propaganda War.
The British media and the 'Battle for hearts and minds'. Liz Curtis, Pluto Press, £5.50.
IN HER new book Liz Curtis carefully documents and analyses how the British media have distorted information from the North of Ireland over the past sixteen years. broadcasting freedom and clearly shows how on such 'sensitive issues' as Northern Ireland the media quickly falls into line and follows government thinking to the letter.
This made of our democratic society. She says 'In Britain, the broadcasters' appearance of independence from government had been carefully cherished; this not only maintained their credibility, because of the BBC's international reputation, sustained Britain's image abroad as a free society'.
Pravaa migal well referred to as the official paper of the Communist Party, but heaven forbid such an inference about the Drillsh reporting with few anu nigilly conexceptions, the British media have acted as the official mouthpiece of the British government.
When the brutality inflicted on civil rights protestors by the RUC and B'Specials was finally bastered over our screens and in the press, after a long period of silence over Northern the media could not help but portray the bigotry prejudice inherent in the six county state. Tv and press coverage was symWallelic ulat ll porShe explodes the myth of press and undermines many assumptions that are but also, trayed what was happennothing nothing less.
Things soon began to change dramatically when British troops were sent to Derry in August 1969. The British media immediately laented will tue loops. As Liz Curtis remarks 'With the arrival of British troops on the streets of Derry Belfast August 1969, changed (any sympathetic coverage of the Nationalist community's struggle).
was now openly physically involved, British observers could no longer regard the situation with detached alstaste. Ine medla s iden tification with the troops was instant and total.' Attitudes In government circles were changing; stability rather than retorm was me moveduosi priority for the governI his Is illustrated by Liz when she cites an artiDy Christine Eade in The Guardian troops arrived in Derry: 'Certainly the British are now taking seriously reports that both the Irish Republican Army Catholic extremists Northern being influenced by Trotskyists, and Communists.' Bernadette Devlin, whose elecion Westminster in 1969 had been greeted with headlines such as: 'She's Bernadette, she's 21, she's MP, she's swinging' Express), now became the 'leader of sinister army' of revoluBRITISH тот.
THE MAN IN THE HOOD tionary extremists', who were now said to be in complete control of the civil rights movement.
Colony now another colonial war. However this one wa on her doorstep Liz Curtis explains: "The supposed effects television Lovelase of the war Vietnam on the American public were fresh establishment minds.
Sunday Express commenlater heavily television for showing the British army in Ireland in . lhe people who atSalvador Robert embassy squads and the who have persistent rumour During the 1982 elec On the one elections.
people to avoid SUD- stepped up its Everyone underHone a bad light', noted 'it is onare running up against the problem, it is one that has assailed the United States for nearly a decade.
There can be little that He evision coverage of the Vietnam war was largely respousl ble for sapping the moral fibre of the American Deo ple to continue the strug The British nent had no intention o letting the media moral fibre' of the British The reaction of the media to allegations of torture by the security forces was simply to ignore them! D'Aubuisson supporter at San Salvador rally It was over two months mom wuen lue alcganon. were made that any report of them reached When the story did break was openly attributed to IRA propaganda.
media dutifully reported, the prime of Northern Brian Faulkner put it 'the IRA had poured out propaganda aimed at undermining public morale, confusing the issues and discrediting the government security...
Truth The Express, that bastion of truth, claimed that the IRA were torturing their own men to headline the Express announced 'Army after OWI 11l2l The began: ' A dossier is being compiled by police and army in terror against its • own men'.
on allege that had been interrogated for 26 hours) had been beaten up by the IRA after his release, then presented at the hospital as Rained of injuries susduring interrogation'.
The doctor who examined McAllister, James Wilson, remarked: allegations in the Daily ExThey quite fantastic. What makes them pletely absurd is the sug gestion that he was beaten up by the IRA before he was brought in here. The damage was psychological not physical June mena coverale o Bloody Sunday the cold-blooded murder of 14 unarmed civilians • was quite remarkable Although reporters at the scene reported in the paratroopers the media as a whoe but the blame on the marchers.
Editorials contradicted eyewitness reports doing. The Dail) Telegraph in a leader titled 'Death March', equated the civil mohts movemen with the IRA and blamed both for the carnage: (the civil rights movement) does not murder: it simply creates conditions favourable to the murders attempted by others and leaves the army in the last resort with no alternative but to fire'.
It is immediately clear from this book that when "sensitive' issues come into conflict with democracy it is the latter which is shelved. Undoubtedly the book what extent this of really official pro. paganda? Strikes, riots, racist attacks, women struggling against nuclear arms and police can all in turn be labelled "sensitive' issues.
This well-written informative book is a mus for all, not just those of us WIll are interested in the conflict