Time to focus on the media role during the Troubles

The legacy business, when it comes to what happened in the north of Ireland, seems to be in full swing. The 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) has been the spur for much activity Two contributions have been the BBC's Once Upon a time in Northern Ireland series and the exhibition: Northern Ireland: Living with the Troubles at the Imperial War Museum. Both have shown different aspects of the conflict - how people from the two communities could see the same incident in opposite ways. The documentary went through the different chapters of the conflict largely via interviews of those taking part. The exhibition has striking statistics highlighting the deaths in the 70s, with civilians always making up a large part of the casualties. A short film also emphasises how in many ways the Good Friday Agreement institutionalised the divisions. However, what is lacking in all of this is any analysis of the media. The media is crucial because it played a key role in how the conflict unfurled and now how the history is being written. The latter is so very important if the same mistakes as those made over the years of the conflict are not to be repeated in the future. The media played a major role in adopting the British Government's propaganda model for the conflict, namely, two warring tribes with the army and security forces in the middle trying to keep the peace. This image was never better personified than when the troops were greeted on arrival in 1969 with tea and cakes on the barriers. Ofcourse this all quickly changed, with internment and the army effectively picking a side. The coverage that then followed seemed to normalise the violence. Bombs going off in the north and in England became the staple diet of news bulletins. Yet, although at times Belfast could resemble any war zone around the world, the whole thing became normalised. Indeed, the phrase "the Troubles" was a term devised to trivialise what was happening. There was effectively a war going on, yet, seven general elections passed without it being a major issue. There was also a tendency to blame Republicans for the whole thing. Journalists lacked good sources on the Republican movement to explain what was happening. So, it went on, never a mention of cost either. Billions were poured into the conflict, yet, whether it was affordable never featured. True, this mantra regarding conflict does extend beyond the north of Ireland. There always seems to be money for war. Today, the same sort of rationale applies to Ukraine. The damage done to the system of law, with developments like the Prevention of Terrorism Act and Diplock Courts were not questioned. Nor do the lasting effects feature in the legacy events. Collusion? There is so much missing. The media frame of coverage on the conflict was revealed somewhat in the aftermath of the GFA. As the violence faded, so the North fell out of the headlines. There is some serious work to be done on looking at the role the media played during the conflict and today, as to how it is being seen looking back. There were some efforts to unravel media coverage during the conflict, with Liz Curtis's Ireland and the Propaganda War, then Don't Mention the War by David Miller making outstanding contributions. The Irish Post ofcourse came about due to the appalling coverage of the conflict and to give voice to the Irish community here and in Ireland. The paper was a must read for anyone who wanted an idea about what was going on. The real concern of the moment is that much of the commemorative stuff relies too much on that original British Government/media frame of the feuding tribes, with the peacekeepers in the middle. If that is how the conflict is still being seen, there is a long way to go in terms of really recognising and reconciling to the past. At best, the media can be said to have normalised rather than questioned what was going on in the north of Ireland. A failure to dispassionately and honestly view what happened over those decades of conflict will only ensure that at some time the same sort of scenario plays out again. One important factor to ensure this does not happen is a proper evaluation of the role of media during and since the conflict. It maybe painful for some but only then can a more balanced view be achieved and a repeat of the past avoided.