Problems of news culture and truth: The BBC's representation of the invasion of Iraq

Salter, Lee

doi:10.1386/jwcs.4.2.161_1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 12 publications

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“…The international BBC news website is the chosen site of analysis due to its popularity and reputation for being objective, a reputation noted by a variety of academics (Salter 2010;Hermida 2009;Richardson and Barkho 2009). Its news services operate the world's widest-reaching international newsgathering network, reporting in 33 languages and claiming 230 million weekly users (BBC 2012a).…”

Section: Theory and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Discourses on Somali Piracy

Way¹

2013

Journalism Practice

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Piracy off Somalia's coast has gained the imagination of the public and the attention of the media. Using critical discourse analysis, this paper considers stories about Somali piracy on the international BBC news website. A twin analysis is undertaken to determine how those involved in piracy and their actions are represented as well as how macro-discursive strategies of legitimation are employed. An historical contextualisation of Somalia and piracy complements the analysis. These analyses reveal how news stories do not focus on Somalis but on negative representations of pirates and positive representations of Western military powers. A number of linguistic strategies are identified that emphasise Western powers and articulate discourses that legitimate the continuing presence and actions of Western militaries. These discourses are drawn upon at the expense of discourses sympathetic to the plight of Somalis. These findings not only call into question the BBC's claims to objectivity, but also highlight the fact that stories do not promote conditions suitable for an end to piracy.

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Section: Theory and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%