Propaganda, the British press and contemporary war : a comparative study of the Gulf War 1990-1991 and Kosovo conflict 1999

The contemporary analysis of propaganda during conflict has tended to focus considerably upon visual and instant media coverage, to the detriment of the written press. This thesis is intended to redress this imbalance and counter the assumption forwarded by some academics that the press provide an anachronistic forum for news reporting. The thesis will provide a case study for those interested in propaganda theory, contemporary conflict and the press during war.

The Gulf War of 1990-91 and the Kosovo Conflict of 1999 are significant for a number of reasons. First, the Gulf War was dubbed the first ‘live’ war whereas Kosovo assumed the title of the first British war of the Internet era. Second, both crises occurred post-Cold War enabling distinctions to be drawn with previous conflicts fought within a different global environment. Third, the commencement of hostilities varied greatly, the Gulf War was triggered by the invasion of Kuwait, whereas the escalation of events in Kosovo was piecemeal. Fourth, geographically the Gulf was of strategic and economic importance to Western powers, while Kosovo was a crisis in Europe’s ‘backyard’ and a test for New Labour’s ‘moral’ foreign policy. Fifth, partly due to geographical considerations, a US-led coalition force conducted the Gulf War, while Kosovo marked NATO’s first war. Finally, the Gulf War combined an air and ground assault in contrast to Kosovo won by air power alone. Despite these differences the propaganda themes utilised portrayed continuities with each and previous conflicts.

To analyse the propaganda coverage of these conflicts the thesis compares five British national newspapers; The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Sun and The Daily Mirror. These newspapers provide a balance between broadsheet and tabloid coverage, a spectrum of political biases and large circulation figures. Such variations are necessary to extract the continuities that permeate the coverage.

The research reveals five consistent propaganda themes; portrayal of the leader figure, portrayal of the enemy, military threat, threat to international stability and technological warfare. These five themes construct a fluid model for the analysis and understanding of propaganda content in the press during conflicts involving British forces. The thesis concludes that the propaganda themes are utilised predominantly by the press as a result of self-censorship and a compatibility of interests with the information providers.