Troubled pasts and the media
Abstract
This report presents the empirical findings of the research into the media, conflict and memory of troubled pasts. Theoretically, the report relies on the circuit of culture, which understands media and cultural artefacts as emerging out of five processes connected in a circuit. Building upon the discussion of previous iterature in the report D3.1, the research design focuses on the processes or production, representation, reception and identity, where we had previously identified conceptual openings and lack of data across all eight case studies.
In approaching the process of production, we conducted in depth interviews with journalists covering the memory of conflict; to address openings in the study of representation, we conducted a discourse analysis in different significant moments of time; in understanding reception and use, we conducted focus group
discussions with members of the lay public and social media analyses across three digital platforms. The findings are discussed both in terms of the national case studies and their specificities and in a comparative manner. The analysis and discussion of the key findings indicate that in media memories of past conflict, the
circuit of culture is characterised by disconnects, interruptions, and blockages. In production, we identified contradictions between journalists’ perceived role of objective observer and polarized and ethnically segmented news outlets; Representations tended to follow well trodden paths and were resistant to change; reception and use showed a polyphony and diversity of views and experiences, introduced new dimensions, such as the role of socio-economic divisions and everyday life concerns, and a concern with healing the traumas left by the conflict. Finally, we present the findings in terms of a typology of conflict discourses in the media while paying attention to power asymmetries between hegemonic, counter and silenced memories.
This report presents the empirical findings of the research into the media, conflict and memory of troubled pasts. Theoretically, the report relies on the circuit of culture, which understands media and cultural artefacts as emerging out of five processes connected in a circuit. Building upon the discussion of previous iterature in the report D3.1, the research design focuses on the processes or production, representation, reception and identity, where we had previously identified conceptual openings and lack of data across all eight case studies.
In approaching the process of production, we conducted in depth interviews with journalists covering the memory of conflict; to address openings in the study of representation, we conducted a discourse analysis in different significant moments of time; in understanding reception and use, we conducted focus group
discussions with members of the lay public and social media analyses across three digital platforms. The findings are discussed both in terms of the national case studies and their specificities and in a comparative manner. The analysis and discussion of the key findings indicate that in media memories of past conflict, the
circuit of culture is characterised by disconnects, interruptions, and blockages. In production, we identified contradictions between journalists’ perceived role of objective observer and polarized and ethnically segmented news outlets; Representations tended to follow well trodden paths and were resistant to change; reception and use showed a polyphony and diversity of views and experiences, introduced new dimensions, such as the role of socio-economic divisions and everyday life concerns, and a concern with healing the traumas left by the conflict. Finally, we present the findings in terms of a typology of conflict discourses in the media while paying attention to power asymmetries between hegemonic, counter and silenced memories.
Publisert i 2021
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