David Miller 
Don’t Mention the War 
Northern Ireland, Propaganda and the Media

The media has told us for over twenty five years that the conflict in Northern Ireland is irrational and has ‘no objective social basis’. The role of the British Army in Northern Ireland is still described as a peacekeeping one: the cause of the ‘troubles’ as ‘terrorism’. Yet, even in the light of the peace initiatives, many people in Britain and abroad know little about the war that has not been called a war. Why is this so?



Don’t Mention the War explains some of the fundamental reasons why there is such a dearth of knowledge and concern about Northern Ireland and how the problem has been defined both publicly and politically. Miller argues that the central strategy of the British state since 1969 has been to contain the troubles and bring about a return to ‘normal’. In pursuing this argument, Miller examines the strategies and tactics used by the British government, the nationalists, the unionists and others to influence perceptions and ideas about the conflict through press statements and other information management activities.



This is a unique and timely work, based on over 100 interviews with journalists, government officials, political activists and politicians, which lays bare the lies of the propagandists and paints a disturbing picture of the success of the media managers in manipulating our perception of the conflict in Northern Ireland.

Tabella dei contenuti

Acknowledgements

List of Illustrations

List of Appendices

Introduction

1. Policing the Media: Intimidation, Secrecy and Censorship

2. The Development of Propaganda Strategies

3. Public Relations as a Propaganda Tactic

4. From ‘Terrorists’ to ‘Freedom Fighters’ International Coverage of Northern Ireland

5. Misinformation and Public Belief: The Case of Gibraltar

6. Conclusion: Winning the Information Battle

Appendices

References

Circa l’autore

David Miller is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Social and Policy Sciences at the University of Bath. He is the co-editor of What is Islamophobia? (Pluto, 2017) and the author of Thinker, Faker, Spinner, Spy (Pluto, 2007) and A Century of Spin (Pluto, 2007).