Essay plan
My essay question is as follows:
“If the media are the central locus of war-mongering then, logically, they have the capability to be the catalyst for peace-mongering.” (Greenslade in Lynch and McGoldrick 2005, p.xi). Discuss this statement in the light of the Australian media’s coverage of the Cronulla ‘race riots’ in December 2005.
“Contemporary war is fought as a media event.” (Hammond in Lynch and McGoldrick 2005, p.xiii). The Cronulla riots in 2005 were no exception as the conflict was dramatically broadcast not only to Australians but also throughout the world.
I intend to analyse the progression throughout December 2005 of the Australian media’s coverage of the Cronulla ‘race riots’ from initial war-mongering to later attempts at Peace Journalism. As the riots were essentially a localised conflict, I have limited the scope of the question to incorporate only Australian media. My focus will lie with the coverage of events in mainly print media, however, examples from talkback radio, television news programs and other media outlets will also be explored.
In terms of structure I intend to divide my response in to three main sections. Firstly I will take a general look at the sheer power of the media to influence public understanding. I will discuss this generally before progressing to look more specifically at the persuasive role of the media in times of war and peace.
As I have stated previously, the reportage of the Cronulla riots is marked by a linear progression from a war approach (5th – 16th Dec 2005) to a peace approach (17th Dec- 31st Dec 2005) Although there are exceptions to these outlined stages, this is how I intend to structure the latter two sections of my essay; the war or security approach, followed by the peace approach. I will discuss the characteristics and effects of each approach, applying them directly to stories from the riot coverage, where layout and images as well as the wording of reports will be taken into consideration.
I will argue that the media are responsible for inciting conflict in general, and specifically in the context of the Cronulla riots. Logically, then, as my question suggests, I will argue that the media also have the capacity to encourage peace.
__________________________________________________________________________________
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1) Allan, S & Zelizer, B 2004, Reporting War: Journalism in Wartime, Routledge, Oxon.
I intend to utilize two chapters in particular from this source. The chapter entitled “When War is Reduced to a Photograph” deals specifically with the extensive employment of visual images in times of conflict to forward various agendas. It will be particularly useful to my analyses of both Peace and War Journalism as I intend to look closely at the role of the image in both of these journalistic approaches.
The second chapter of relevance is “The Battlefield is the Media: War Reporting and the Formation of National Identity in Australia.” This chapter focuses on the continually revisited myth of the Anzac and its associated symbolism which interestingly made a number of subtle appearances in the Cronulla Riot reportage. This discussion of national identity is relevant to both War and Peace approaches to reporting.
2) Connelly, M & Welch, D 2005, War and the Media: Reportage and Propaganda 1900 – 2003, I.B Tauris and Co Ltd, London.
War and the Media: Reportage and Propaganda 1900 – 2003, provides a chronological analysis of conflict coverage from pre World War I agitations to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The final chapters of the book are of most relevance to my essay as they draw conclusions about the changing context of war reporting and propaganda in the twenty first century. Chapters about the media war in the digital age and the psychological operations of the media are also relevant.
3) Lynch, J & McGoldrick, A 2005, Peace Journalism, Hawthorn Press, Gloucestershire.
Peace Journalism clearly explains how most reportage of conflict inadvertently fuels further violence and unrest and suggests practical options for journalists who seek to report conflict in a more constructive way. The book has formed the backbone of my analysis as it clearly defines both Peace and War Journalism by providing real life examples of each. It contrasts the two approaches, providing explanations which lend themselves very well to the war and the peace reporting seen in the Cronulla riots.
4) Lynch, J & McGoldrick, A War and Peace Journalism in the Holy Land, Social Alternatives, 2005 First Quarter, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p11-15.
The themes of this journal article are similar to those running through Lynch and McGoldrick’s book Peace Journalsim which argues that Peace Journalism is a long overdue approach. This article, however, looks more specifically at the question of how much background should the journalist include in conflict reporting. The question is answered using the example of the Arab/Israeli conflict. Yet, once again, all arguments can be easily translated to fit in with issues raised in the reporting of the Cronulla riots.
5) Seib, P 2004, Beyond the Front Lines: How the News Media Cover a World Shaped by War, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Beyond the Front Lines looks closely at the world media’s coverage of conflict in the “crises-laden post 9/11 era.” (Nacos in Seib 2004) Although focusing on the reportage of conflict involving America, Seib constructs valuable arguments surrounding the more general issues of objectivity, political affiliation and patriotism in the reporting of conflict. He also criticises a number of journalistic approaches suggesting detailed alternatives for better reporting. The examples given, from primarily September 11th and the war on terror can be easily applied to the smaller scale coverage of the Cronulla Riots and therefore remain valuable to my analysis.
“If the media are the central locus of war-mongering then, logically, they have the capability to be the catalyst for peace-mongering.” (Greenslade in Lynch and McGoldrick 2005, p.xi). Discuss this statement in the light of the Australian media’s coverage of the Cronulla ‘race riots’ in December 2005.
“Contemporary war is fought as a media event.” (Hammond in Lynch and McGoldrick 2005, p.xiii). The Cronulla riots in 2005 were no exception as the conflict was dramatically broadcast not only to Australians but also throughout the world.
I intend to analyse the progression throughout December 2005 of the Australian media’s coverage of the Cronulla ‘race riots’ from initial war-mongering to later attempts at Peace Journalism. As the riots were essentially a localised conflict, I have limited the scope of the question to incorporate only Australian media. My focus will lie with the coverage of events in mainly print media, however, examples from talkback radio, television news programs and other media outlets will also be explored.
In terms of structure I intend to divide my response in to three main sections. Firstly I will take a general look at the sheer power of the media to influence public understanding. I will discuss this generally before progressing to look more specifically at the persuasive role of the media in times of war and peace.
As I have stated previously, the reportage of the Cronulla riots is marked by a linear progression from a war approach (5th – 16th Dec 2005) to a peace approach (17th Dec- 31st Dec 2005) Although there are exceptions to these outlined stages, this is how I intend to structure the latter two sections of my essay; the war or security approach, followed by the peace approach. I will discuss the characteristics and effects of each approach, applying them directly to stories from the riot coverage, where layout and images as well as the wording of reports will be taken into consideration.
I will argue that the media are responsible for inciting conflict in general, and specifically in the context of the Cronulla riots. Logically, then, as my question suggests, I will argue that the media also have the capacity to encourage peace.
__________________________________________________________________________________
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1) Allan, S & Zelizer, B 2004, Reporting War: Journalism in Wartime, Routledge, Oxon.
I intend to utilize two chapters in particular from this source. The chapter entitled “When War is Reduced to a Photograph” deals specifically with the extensive employment of visual images in times of conflict to forward various agendas. It will be particularly useful to my analyses of both Peace and War Journalism as I intend to look closely at the role of the image in both of these journalistic approaches.
The second chapter of relevance is “The Battlefield is the Media: War Reporting and the Formation of National Identity in Australia.” This chapter focuses on the continually revisited myth of the Anzac and its associated symbolism which interestingly made a number of subtle appearances in the Cronulla Riot reportage. This discussion of national identity is relevant to both War and Peace approaches to reporting.
2) Connelly, M & Welch, D 2005, War and the Media: Reportage and Propaganda 1900 – 2003, I.B Tauris and Co Ltd, London.
War and the Media: Reportage and Propaganda 1900 – 2003, provides a chronological analysis of conflict coverage from pre World War I agitations to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. The final chapters of the book are of most relevance to my essay as they draw conclusions about the changing context of war reporting and propaganda in the twenty first century. Chapters about the media war in the digital age and the psychological operations of the media are also relevant.
3) Lynch, J & McGoldrick, A 2005, Peace Journalism, Hawthorn Press, Gloucestershire.
Peace Journalism clearly explains how most reportage of conflict inadvertently fuels further violence and unrest and suggests practical options for journalists who seek to report conflict in a more constructive way. The book has formed the backbone of my analysis as it clearly defines both Peace and War Journalism by providing real life examples of each. It contrasts the two approaches, providing explanations which lend themselves very well to the war and the peace reporting seen in the Cronulla riots.
4) Lynch, J & McGoldrick, A War and Peace Journalism in the Holy Land, Social Alternatives, 2005 First Quarter, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p11-15.
The themes of this journal article are similar to those running through Lynch and McGoldrick’s book Peace Journalsim which argues that Peace Journalism is a long overdue approach. This article, however, looks more specifically at the question of how much background should the journalist include in conflict reporting. The question is answered using the example of the Arab/Israeli conflict. Yet, once again, all arguments can be easily translated to fit in with issues raised in the reporting of the Cronulla riots.
5) Seib, P 2004, Beyond the Front Lines: How the News Media Cover a World Shaped by War, Palgrave Macmillan, New York.
Beyond the Front Lines looks closely at the world media’s coverage of conflict in the “crises-laden post 9/11 era.” (Nacos in Seib 2004) Although focusing on the reportage of conflict involving America, Seib constructs valuable arguments surrounding the more general issues of objectivity, political affiliation and patriotism in the reporting of conflict. He also criticises a number of journalistic approaches suggesting detailed alternatives for better reporting. The examples given, from primarily September 11th and the war on terror can be easily applied to the smaller scale coverage of the Cronulla Riots and therefore remain valuable to my analysis.
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