conflict
& communication online, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2002
www.cco.regener-online.de
ISSN 1618-0747
Birgitta Höijer
(Örebro), Stig Arne Nohrstedt (Örebro) & Rune Ottosen (Oslo)
The Kosovo War in the Media - Analysis of a Global Discursive Order
This article, which
has a discourse analytical perspective, discusses findings from studies
of the Kosovo War in the media covering the whole process from production
to reception. Theoretically, a set of different, albeit related, discourses
are brought together. It is the discourses of news journalism and propaganda,
and the discourse of global compassion. Fairclough´s concept "global
discursive order", implying a certain complex of discourses, is used
to emphasize that discourses are mixed and interact with each other. In
the first part of the paper the social and historical contexts of the
mentioned discourses are discussed.
The second part of the article presents results from a research project
consisting of a set of studies of the Kosovo War in the media. The aim
was to study how the media and the audience handled and interpreted this
global event. The studies were conducted in Sweden (a non-NATO country)
and Norway (a NATO country). A British study of news production was also
included. The journalistic process was studied via interviews with reporting
journalists, the media coverage of the war was studied by textual analysis,
and audience reception was studied by focus groups. Some conclusions:
The global discourse of compassion had a strong impact on the media reporting.
Media in Sweden and Norway were equally occupied by the fate of the civilian
populations and their suffering due both to terror on the ground and to
the NATO air attacks. The audience responded to the emotional engagement
that the media offered in two ways: either with compassion or with indifference,
turning their backs to the suffering.
The media never seriously questioned the enemy Milosevic as the only one
responsible for the war, and NATO´s self-proclaimed motives. Neither
did the audience. In general, however, the Norwegian audience was more
willing to accept the NATO propaganda than the Swedish audience.
From the start the media in Sweden had a much more outspoken and critical
voice compared to media in Norway. But under the impact of subsequent
events, especially the misdirected attacks on Albanian refugees, the news
media in both countries turned into a mainly critical image of the NATO
bombings. Some form of ambivalence regarding the bombings was also quite
common among the audience in both countries.
In other respects, for example accounts about Russia's role in the conflict,
differences between Norwegian and Swedish media remained throughout the
conflict. The difference reflected differences in national security and
foreign policy traditions.
On the authors: Birgitta Höijer, b. 1945, Ph.D. in Psychology 1984 (University of Uppsala, Sweden). Researcher in the Audience and Programme Research Department at the Swedish Broadcasting Coperation 1969-1990; Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, Stockholm University 1990-1995, Associate professor 1992; Department of Media and Communication at Oslo University, 1995-2001, professor from 1998. Since 2001 professor of Media and Communication, University of Örebro, Sweden. Research interests in studies of genres and content of the media and the meaning creation of the audience. Reception theory with a cultural-cognitive perspective focusing on comprehension processes and interpretative frames of references. Selected books: Nyheter, förståelse och minne (News, Comprehension and Memory) 1984; Våldsamma nyheter (Violent News) 1996; Cultural Cognition. New Perspectives in Audience Theory, 1998; Kosovokonflikten, medierna och medlidandet (The Kosovo Conflict, Media and Compassion), 2002.
Stig A. Nohrstedt, b. 1946, Ph.D. in Political Science (University of Uppsala, Sweden). Professor of Media and Communication, Örebro University, Sweden. Research areas are: international communication and war journalism; journalism ethics; crisis communication; new ICT and democracy. Selected books: Tredje världen i nyheterna (News Coverage of the Third World) 1986; Journalistikens etiska problem (The Ethical Problem of Journalism), 1996; Journalism and the New World Order, Vol. I, 2000; Kosovokonflikten, medierna och medlidandet (The Kosovo Conflict, Media and Compassion), 2002.
Rune Ottosen, b. 1950, Cand. polit. in Political Science (University of Oslo, 1984), BA in Journalism (Norwegian College of Journalism, 1973); Journalist in various media (1977-84); Lecturer and Research Fellow at the Norwegian College of Journalism (1984-88); Information Director and Research Fellow at the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) (1989-92); Research Fellow at the Norwegian Federation of Journalists (1993-95); Associate Professor at the Faculty of Journalism, Library and Information Science, Oslo College, since 1996; Professor in the same institution from 1999; Ottosen is also the president of the Norwegian Association of Non-Fiction Authors and Translators. Author of several books and articles on journalism history and topics related to war and journalism. Recent book publications: Journalism and the New World Order, Vol. I, 2000; Kosovokonflikten, medierna och medlidandet (The Kosovo Conflict, Media and Compassion), 2002.
Addresses: Birgitta Höijer, Media and Communication, Örebro University, SE- 701 82 Örebro, Sweden
eMail: birgitta.hoijer@hum.oru.se,
http://www.oru.se/org/inst/hum/mkv/index.html
Stig-Arne Nohrstedt,
Media and Communication, Örebro University, SE- 701 82 Örebro,
Sweden
eMail:Stig-Arne.Nohrstedt@hum.oru.se
http://www.oru.se/org/inst/hum/mkv/index.html
Rune Ottosen, Faculty
of Journalism, Library and Information Science, Oslo University College,
Pilestredet 48, NO- 0167 Oslo, Norway
eMail: Rune.Ottosen@jbi.hio.no
http://home.hio.no/~rune/