'American' in crisis: opinion discourses, the Iraq War and the politics of identity

Abstract

During the Iraq War, news of the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal and the beheading of American citizen Nick Berg disturbed Americans, as they were left trying to negotiate the meanings of these events, wondering what `we' (Americans) stand for versus what `they' (Iraqis) do. These events — and the news media's communication of them to the American public — created a situation we call `nationalistic ambiguity', where occurrences present a mixed message to the public mind about national identity and purpose. This article investigates how opinion columns and letters in US newspapers, which addressed these events, reconciled the paradox of America's mission to liberate a people with the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal and the beheading of Nick Berg.

The Dan Rather Maxim: Collective identity and news coverage of human rights and international law

“…Though the media is but one of the numerous social and political institutions that construct group identity, it is a formidable one because of its ability to ‘reach virtually all citizens all the time’ and ‘no other institution is so well positioned to disseminate messages about national identity and order’ (Fishman and Marvin, 2003: 42). The news not only covers issues and events, but also transmits ‘core values of the culture in which they are produced’ (Ismail et al, 2009: 153). These core cultural norms, according to Artz (2005), tend to ‘protect or implement dominant political interests and goals’ (p. 8; see also Lule, 2002: 277).…”

“…These core cultural norms, according to Artz (2005), tend to ‘protect or implement dominant political interests and goals’ (p. 8; see also Lule, 2002: 277). During times of national crises and conflict, the news media may help negotiate the meaning of the national identity through the reinforcement of hegemonic political and economic interests (Ismail et al, 2009).…”