Abstract
Opinions about the reliability of news media have become largely dichotomised. The two major factions are those who embrace mainstream media and fundamentally trust them, and those who automatically reject mainstream news as propaganda. The aim of this study is to question and critique specifically the former view by pointing out the ideologically charged nature of mainstream news, while, at the same time, distancing itself from the latter extreme as well. The current system of news-making, it will be argued, essentially limits the presentable perspectives to those of the elite and the establishment, and breeds conformism. To demonstrate my points, I will analyse the coverage of the attack on the United Nations aid convoy in Urum al-Kubra on 19 September 2016. The analysis is limited to four major British news outlets. The focus will be on how the media subtly attach credibility to certain sources while discrediting or dismissing other, no less informative ones, based on the ideological favourability of what information they have to share. Discursive strategies of interest are foregrounding and backgrounding, the inclusion and exclusion of information, the embracing and questioning of sources, and the promoting and discrediting of views, etc. The main emphasis will be on the false impression of factuality and the unquestioning acceptance of otherwise highly questionable claims or allegations.
Highlights
When in May 2016 I was listening to an enlightening talk given by a refugee from Northwestern Syria, I realised how striking the difference was between his account and experiences of the events, and the way they were presented in the Western corporate news media
I had it as a first-hand experience of how difficult it is to construct an alternative point of view when the information available is constantly presented from one specific perspective, and with one specific agenda behind it
In order to demonstrate my points, I will look at British mainstream media articles available online which feature the case of the attack on a United Nations aid convoy in Urum al-Kubra and the diplomatic and investigative developments succeeding it
Summary
When in May 2016 I was listening to an enlightening talk given by a refugee from Northwestern Syria, I realised how striking the difference was between his account and experiences of the events, and the way they were presented in the Western corporate news media. While the selection of news items is already an ideological process, the content that eventually does ‘make it’ to the news encounters additional filters, which further exclude alternative points of view or, whole events Such a system of news-making, it will be argued, essentially limits the presentable perspectives to, by and large, those of the elite and the establishment, and breeds conformism. The object of investigation and critique is British corporate news, it is not intended to disregard, let alone deny, the applicability of the same criticisms to ‘enemy media’ as well This critique does not aim at denigrating the work of journalists themselves. The overall aim is to critically analyse the attribution of credibility through various discursive strategies to ideologically favourable sources while discrediting unfavourable ones in the British mainstream press
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