To what extent can British newsreel coverage of the Korean War be considered propagandist in nature?

Cook, Peter William (2013). To what extent can British newsreel coverage of the Korean War be considered propagandist in nature? University of Birmingham. M.Phil.

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Abstract

Throughout history ‘myth’ has developed from events on the battlefield, often, the creation and circulation of ‘propagandist interpretations’ has been deliberately pursued by belligerents. Nonetheless, definitive clarifications of how and why mythologies develop remain difficult to establish. Theorists have however provided a theoretical model facilitating examination of the ideologies encoded within texts. This thesis suggests social communication remains ‘self-gratifying’ to the encoder and decoder and will explore how and why ideological interpretations of events, forwarded by those who circulate information, may be considered propagandist in nature within the historical context of the Korean War. Significant quantities of audio-visual material provided a valuable sample of media coverage which constructed the ‘reality’ of events for the cinema industry’s target audience of predominantly working class patrons. This reality defined the United Nations only military clash with aggressive communism, during a period of significant international tension. This study will focus upon diplomatic activity, the military situation and British aspects of the conflict between mid-1950 and late January 1951; illustrating how audio-visual material sought to insulate a section of British society against the ideologies of Soviet sponsored communism. Thus the Cold War was fought on the cinema screen in addition to the battlefield.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Phil.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Phil.

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