War Journalism Research Articles

The Names of the Unknown Soldiers. Soviet War Literature and Journalism, or Verisimilitude and Truth: Two Case Studies

Vasilij Subbotin’s We Stormed the Reichstag is a typical specimen of the wave of non-fiction prose about World War II which sprang up in the wake of the 20th Congress. The search for the unjustly forgotten war hero, one of the major themes of this kind of literature, is represented here by the story of Pëtr Pjatnickij, a soldier who fell on the steps of the Reichstag entrance with a red flag in his hand and was then forgotten.
 If, hypothetically, this story was false, it would echo the (probably false) story of the 28 ‘panfilovcy’ who purportedly fell at Dubosekovo during the battle for Moscow. In that case, Subbotin’s text would embody a characteristically literary device: giving a name to an anonymous character, the anonymous figure, for example, carrying the flag in Vladimir Bogatkin’s well-known painting, as a way to give life and credibility to the image. The Dubosekovo story, as developed by journalist Aleksandr Krivickij, appears to employ the same mechanism for achieving credibility. In this case the operation was twofold: Krivickij gave his heroes first a number, and only later names. The second move was the most hazardous. A story that pretends to be true must be verifiable in real life; this is where Krivickij failed and where Subbotin may have succeeded.
 Stalinist culture fundamentally refused to separate fact from fiction. The non-fiction literature from the Thaw is exactly the opposite: an attempt at reinstating the separation.

Teaching Edith Wharton’s Major Novels and Short Fiction

Teaching Edith Wharton’s Major Novels and Short Fiction

Framing the Colombian Peace Process: Between Peace and War Journalism

ABSTRACT This bilingual, cross-national study analyzes stories about the Colombian peace process that were engaged with on social media to understand the use of peace and war framing in news reporting. Using content analysis as a method, this paper operationalized Galtung’s classification of peace journalism and follows framing methodological adjustments and improvements suggested by previous peace journalism scholars. Results show that, even during peace talks, media use war narratives more often than peace frames, and social media users amplify more war than peace-oriented content. Proximity to conflict also was shown to be an important factor, as Colombian media used more war frames than foreign media. These findings are relevant for their implications about how national media consistently emphasized a war frame that social media users amplified, which we argue has implications for how citizens viewed the Colombian peace process, ultimately potentially influencing the decision to vote down the referendum.

The role of social psychological processes in journalist's war and peace journalism attitudes

Previous studies have shown factors including media ownership, socio-political censorship, ethnic division and, the lack of professional training as obstacles to practising Peace Journalism principles. This research explored how social psychological processes including intergroup contact and outgroup attitudes influence Peace Journalism attitudes. Turkish Cypriot (TC) and Greek Cypriot (GC) journalists living in the divided and conflicted island of Cyprus participated. Findings highlighted that quantity and quality of contact are positively correlated with positive feelings, common ingroup identity (CII) and Peace Journalism attitudes and negatively correlated with intergroup anxiety and War Journalism (WJ) attitudes. Results shed light on the benefits of positive and frequent contact among journalists and with outgroup members that enhance positive social psychological processes as well as Peace Journalism attitudes. By recognizing the importance of intergroup contact, Peace Journalism attitudes can be improved by decreasing social-psychological tensions and contribute to reconciliation, peace-building processes, and sustainable peace in conflicted societies.

Amor Patriae in Literary Journalism

The Homeland War in Croatia (1991-1995) resulted with a relatively great production of various hybrid nonfiction genres. War journalism in the mainstream media mainly reported facts by young unexperienced journalists. War reporting was dry and nowhere close to literary journalism. With one exception. In November 1991, Joža Vlahović, the doyen of Croatian journalism went to the frontline as a war reporter. This resulted in a series of short stories that fall into a wider scope called new journalism, literary journalism, immersion journalism, or narrative nonfiction. Hence, the research of these texts which were first published as war reports in 1991 in newspapers, and twenty years later gathered in a book significantly titled “Onaj rat je bio bolji” (That War Was Better), is a multidisciplinary research effort within literature and communication sciences to investigate these brilliant stories of a specific genre in always intriguing common ground of literature and journalism.

Hawkish Reading: John Steinbeck and the Vietnam War

This article explores John Steinbeck's Vietnam War journalism as a way of understanding how hawks—those who favor military intervention—read the world with what affect theorists would call a "strong theory" of aggression. I argue that hawkish reading weaponizes the rhetorical precepts of synecdoche, taking its premise that a part can represent a whole as a means to escalate and invade. Steinbeck's journalism demonstrates how hawkish reading occurs not only in a hawk's depiction of the enemy abroad, but inevitably becomes a way of depicting protestors at home. What hawkish reading shows is how the hawk is dedicated to maintaining his strong theory of aggression at any cost, even when the hawk's depictions perpetuate cliché, stereotype, and ultimately, demagoguery. To explore texts like Steinbeck's for their hawkish reading is to better understand not only how the hawk uses facile language to create intense attachments, but also to better understand how the hawk's language creates dissensus at home.

U.S. Public Opinion on China and the United States During the U.S.–China Trade Dispute: The Role of Audience Framing and Partisan Media Use

This study examines the relationship between selective and cross-cutting/non-partisan media exposure, perceived journalism framing, and U.S. public’s perception of China and the United States during the U.S.–China trade dispute. A national survey of U.S. adult population indicated that more people perceived that the media escalated the conflict between China and the United States than promoted peace between the countries. Perceived peace journalism framing was positively related to perception of China, whereas perceived war journalism framing was positively related to perception of the United States. Partisan media use has higher influence on perception of the United States than perception of China.

China through the lens of neighboring media: a comparative analysis of Pakistani and Indian newspaper coverage of unrest in Hong Kong

This research offers a comparative content analysis of Pakistani and Indian newspaper coverage of the recent social unrest in Hong Kong over the attempt to introduce an extradition bill covering fugitive suspects. Additionally, the study explores the portrayal of China in the newspapers of its neighboring countries in reporting on the Hong Kong turmoil. The study applies framing theory and empirically tests the model of peace journalism developed by Johan Galtung. The results from analyzing 564 news stories indicate that the Indian press practices more war journalism, while the Pakistani press practices more peace journalism. In all four newspapers, the protestors received a more favorable slant than the government. However, Indian newspapers put China in a negative frame, while Pakistani newspapers presented a largely neutral image of China but offered slightly more negative than positive portrayals. The salient appearance of “discordance-oriented” indicators used for war journalism indicates that the Indian media have discouraged the restoration of peace and promoted contestation between protestors and the Hong Kong government. This study also addressed the impact of foreign policy and news sources on the practices of peace and war journalism and representation of China in Indian and Pakistani newspapers.

6 PTSD and war photo journalists

War journalism is becoming increasingly dangerous. Journalists who define their careers by longevity in war zones have a lifetime prevalence of PTSD similar to frontline combat veterans. Local journalists can also confront grave danger, but unlike foreign correspondents, they work and live in dangerous places. They too have rates of PTSD and depression that well exceed that seen in the general population. Local journalists whose families are targeted are particularly vulnerable in this regard. Journalists who chose these dangerous career paths differ cognitively from their colleagues who have chosen less adventurous careers, most notably when it comes to decisions that entail risk. The ability to manage anxiety and fear in extreme situations may to a degree be modulated by epigenetic factors.

Framing of Kashmir Conflict in Elite Pakistani and Indian Newspapers after Revocation of Special Status of the Disputed Territory

Purpose: India, using its legislative powers, divided Jammu and Kashmir J&K into two separate territories under federal control by revoking Article 370 that had given a special status to the disputed territory. This move stirred isolation and suppression in the people of the valley. The purpose of the study is to comprehend the peace and war framing of the Kashmir conflict after the revocation of the special status of the disputed territory in the Indian and Pakistani media. The study also attempts to explore the strategic relevance of Kashmir for neighboring China.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: Framing, Peace and War Journalism theories were used in this study. Quantitative content analysis method was used to analyze the peace and war framing of the J&K conflict in Dawn and Times of India.
 Findings: Content analysis findings supported assumption that war coverage was the most highly recorded coverage pattern in both Indian and Pakistani newspapers. Dawn took a lead in peace journalism framing with 25.56% of its editorials and columns dominated with peace journalism frames whereas 11.88% editorials and columns in Times of India were dominated with peace journalism frames.
 Implications/Originality/Value: The study finds that Kashmir dispute was framed in War Journalism viewpoint in media of both the neighboring countries. This research also shows that Beijing sticks to its strategic guns by giving peaceful verbal gestures for the region’s stability. 

Examining perceptions towards war/peace journalism: A survey of journalists in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan

Following seminal study on journalistic attitudes towards wars and peace journalism, in this study we investigated the perceptions of conflict reporters in the three most deadly countries in the world including Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. A total of 317 journalists participated in this study. Though generally we found support for the earlier study, the analysis shows journalists engage in wider practices than predicted that overlap war and peace journalism approaches. A closer examination showed that journalists favored active war journalism practices and passive peace journalism practices. Finally, we did not find that journalistic experience and contextual factors influenced preferences towards war and peace journalism substantially.

Indo-Pak Media Approach towards Peace and War Journalism during the Policy Crisis: Analyzing the Coverage of Pulwama Attack and Balakot Air-Strike in daily Dawn and The Hindu

This study contently examines the media coverage of Pulwama attack and Balakot air strike in daily Dawn and The Hindu, wherein the total 162 news stories on both the selected issues were thoroughly analyzed in the broader perspective of peace journalism. Supporting the core theoretical assumptions of indexing theory [media follow the guidelines of elites] and policy-media interaction model [media tow the government’s policy line], the Indo-Pak media employ, to some extent, peace journalism, especially at the time of policy crisis. However, the study shows mixed results as the Indian newspaper, owing to prevailing political environment in India, was more inclined towards war journalism 38.8% as compare to the war-oriented 12.2% coverage in daily Dawn. On other hand, the findings indicate high level of tendency in daily Dawn i.e. 53.7% towards peace journalism, comparing with 23.8% peace-oriented coverage in daily The Hindu.

Media, War, and Peace: A Post Pulwama Comparative Study of India and Pakistan

According to Johan Galtung’s theory, war journalism and peace journalism are two frames. Peace journalism is a solution oriented while war journalism escalates conflicts. This study aims at comparatively exploring the nature of coverage during a conflict. This paper examines the role of the Pakistani and Indian elite press after the Pulwama attack, leading to the Balakot airstrike. For the collection of data, researchers have selected four leading elite newspapers i.e. two from Pakistan and two from India. The researchers have collected two month’s data after the incident of Pulwama leading to air craft conflict between the two states. Data is collected through content analysis which is further analyzed. The findings indicated that the media with dominate war frames compromise national security.

Reporting of Kashmir Conflict in Elite press of Pakistan. A Descriptive Analysis

The study attempts to analyze the coverage of Jammu and Kashmir conflict through peace and war journalism along with understanding how the ideals of peace journalism can be translated into conflict reporting. The descriptive analysis of news stories published fromAugust 5, 2019 to Dec 5, 2019in the mainstream contemporary English press of Pakistan (Dawn and The Nation) and India (Times of India and The Hindu) is carried out through content analysis. The time period is significant because of the scrapping of Article 370 and its violent effects on the region. The approach of peace and war journalism is explored through in-depth interviews of Pakistani and Kashmiri journalists. The study concluded that both Pakistani and Indian press employed war framing more dominantly than peace framing while reporting Kashmir conflict. A higher instance of peace journalism was recorded in the Pakistani press in comparison to the Indian press. The ideals of peace journalism can be achieved by not justifying human rights violations and by refraining from becoming part of propaganda paradigm.

Специфика освещения русско-японской войны 1904-1905 гг. французскими корреспондентами на Дальнем Востоке

The article aims at identiIying the speciIic qualities oI corerage oI the war between Russia and Japan in 1904-1905 by French newspapers. The study is based on the publications in Iour oI the leading French newspapers oI the period (Le Figaro, Le Temps, Le Journal, and Le Matin) which are presented in Gallica, the online archiye of the National Library of France (Bibliotheque nationale de France). Particular attention is Iocused on publications that reIlect the early period oI the conIlict (27 January - 10 February 1904) and sereral episodes of the war (the shelling of Port Arthur in January-February 1904 and the battle of Liaoyang 24 August - 4 September 1904). The study of archiral documents (a total of 15 issues of Le Matin, 15 issues of Le Journal, 10 issues of Le Figaro, and 2 issues of Le Temps that hare preriously been neither fully translated into Russian nor presented to the academic community) clearly demonstrates that the French newspapers followed one single communication strategy which was quite different from the other pro-Japanese European and American media. The study of hard news and interriews published on the early stage of the conflict reflects the attempts to create a positire image of the Russian Empire in the eyes of French readers, eren though the analysed newspapers relied mainly on reports from English, German, and American newspapers and telegraph agencies. Howerer, reportages, published by a dozen of journalists sent to the theatre of operations in the Far East from Paris, were not only a part of this strategy to reinforce the positive image of Russian troops, they also created an objective picture and a deeply personal account of the event seen through the eyes of a war reporter - the identity and adventures of a war correspondent became, for the first time in the history of French press, a major subject of interest for the audience of the French press. Having examined in detail the publications of two quality newspapers (Le Figaro and Le Temps) and two newspapers for a wider audience (Le Matin and Le Journal) presented on the website of the Gallica archive, the author comes to the conclusion that the French press established a dual approach to war coverage in these years. Despite the great role of information from foreign newspapers and telegraph agencies, gradually, it is the reportage from French correspondents that becomes the leading genre in French journalism at the beginning of the 20th century. Articles describing the reporter's view of the war laid the foundation not only for war journalism but for reportage journalism in the French press as well. Therefore, this study analyses these publications as proper examples of the war reportage and not just as individual correspondence from the front lines. The case of the Russo-Japanese war coverage allows analysing the principles of the construction of belligerents' images in quality and mass newspapers as well as their communication strategy.

War and Peace Journalism: Coverage of Syrian Conflict in International Press

The Syrian conflict has been one of the main issues of the current decade and was widely covered by the international media. Our research aims to explore how the international press portrayed the Syrian conflict from the lens of 'peace' and 'war' journalism. Four newspapers of different countries which were directly involved in the issue were selected. Editorial pages of The New York Times of America, The Moscow Times of Russia, Tehran Times of Iran, and Khaleej Times of Arab States were chosen as a unit of analysis for the study. A sample of 918 stories was selected for examination. We used the content analysis methodology and selected the time period from March 15, 20ll to March 15, 2016. Our findings show that the Syrian issue is dominantly framed as war-oriented by the international media as compared to peace-journalism. Among war-indicators, a dichotomy is the most used approach, whereas in peace-indicators solution-oriented approach is the most repeated one.

Peace Journalism in Theory and Practice: Kenyan and Foreign Correspondent Perspectives

ABSTRACT Peace journalism (PJ) is a framework intended to improve conflict coverage by challenging traditional news values. Our study aimed to compare the use of PJ in the local and foreign coverage of two key violent events in Kenyan history—the 2017 election violence and the 2019 Dusit attack—as well as collecting reporters’ views and understandings of the concept. A content analysis of 257 articles across 10 legacy newspapers from Kenya, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa was supplemented with 14 semi-structued interviews with local and foreign reporters. We found war journalism (WJ) to be the prevailing frame, with no significant difference in the use of PJ between Kenyan and international newspapers apart from a few variations across individual indicators. The interviews exposed a lack of awareness of PJ in the case of foreign correspondents, and an interpretation that fundamentally differs from traditional understandings of the concept in the case of Kenyan reporters. We conclude that PJ is not a one-size-fits-all approach and needs to be embraced and transformed in cooperation between journalists and academics before it can become a reality in mainstream newsrooms.

New Perspectives on West Africa and World War Two

Abstract Focusing on Anglophone West Africa, particularly Nigeria and the Gold Coast (Ghana), this article analyses the historiography of World War Two, examining recruitment, civil defence, intelligence gathering, combat, demobilisation, and the predicament of ex-servicemen. It argues that we must avoid an overly homogeneous notion of African participation in the war, and that we should instead attempt to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, as well as differentiating in terms of geography and education, all variables that made a significant difference to wartime labour conditions and post-war prospects. It will show how the existing historiography facilitates an appreciation of the role of West Africans in distinct theatres of combat, and examine the role of such sources as African war memoirs, journalism and photography in developing our understanding of Africans in East Africa, South and South-East Asia, and the Middle East. More generally, it will demonstrate how recent scholarship has further complicated our comprehension of the conflict, opening new fields of study such as the interaction of gender and warfare, the role of religion in colonial armed forces, and the transnational experiences of West Africans during the war. The article concludes with a discussion of the historical memory of the war in contemporary West African fiction and documentary film.

The Coral Is Not All Dead Yet

Reportage and essays are the first and most immediate way that citizens learn about climate change science, its causes and consequences, and the impacts that industry and consumerism have on ecosystems. For fifteen years, I have been reporting and writing stories on these topics. Growing up, I was drawn to the environment because I was fascinated by the diversity, the endless variety, of life on Earth. But early in my career, in my first reporting job for a newspaper in the Caribbean, I also saw the disastrous toll that contemporary civilization was taking on the natural world – specifically on coral reefs. And yet, the climate crisis was not widely reported as such in those days. That experience, and the dearth of mainstream climate reporting at the time, led me to seek out some of the leading thinkers on the subject, and made climate one of the central subjects of my work. Most often, in the field of journalism, the phrase “bearing witness” refers to war journalism, while my work, for years, had often felt like science translation, connection, and storytelling. But more recently, as the ecological and societal impacts of a changing climate have grown more extreme, widespread, and apparent, while greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, climate journalism has, too, become a form of bearing witness.

Reporting Sino-Indian Border Conflict Through Peace Journalism Approach

The study attempts to analyze the coverage of recent Sino-Indian border conflict through peace and war journalism along with understanding how peace journalism ideals can be translated into conflict reporting. The descriptive analysis of news stories published from May 5, 2020, to October 5, 2020, in the mainstream contemporary English press of China (China Daily and Global Times) and India (Times of India and The Hindu) is carried out through content analysis. The period is significant because of the recent border conflict between China and India at Ladakh. The approach of peace and war journalism is explored through in-depth interviews of Indian and Chinese journalists. The study concluded that both Indian and Chinese press employed war framing more dominantly than peace framing while reporting on-going border conflict. A higher instance of peace journalism was recorded in the Chinese press in comparison to the Indian press. The ideals of peace journalism can be achieved by refraining from becoming part of the propaganda paradigm.