David Miller - Dont Mention the War: Northern Ireland, Propaganda, and the Media

DONT MENTION THE WAR

Northern Ireland, Propaganda
and the Media

David Miller

First published 1994 by
Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA

94 95 96 97 98 5 4 3 2 1

Copyright David Miller 1994

The right of David Miller to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Miller, David
Dont mention the war: Northern Ireland, propaganda and the
media / David Miller
368pp. 23cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7453-0835-X
1. Northern Ireland in mass media. 2. Violence in mass media.
3. Propaganda, British. 4. Mass media policy Great Britain.
5. Mass media and public opinion. I. Title.
P96.N67M55 1994
070.4'4994160824dc20 9428457
CIP

ISBN 9780745308357 (hbk)
ISBN 074530835X (hbk)
ISBN 9780745308364 (pbk)
ISBN 0745308368 (pbk)
ISBN 9781783718320 ePub
ISBN 9781783718337 Kindle

Designed, typeset and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Production Services, Chipping Norton 0X7 5QR

Printed on demand by Antony Rowe Ltd, Eastbourne

For my father, Robert Miller, who would have approved.

To those journalists who have asked the right questions.

Acknowledgements

In writing this book I have accumulated many debts, most of which I will probably never be able to repay. A myriad of people helped by sharing their time, expertise and knowledge and by helping to trace information and people. For help with cuttings, press releases, obscure speeches and other documentation thanks to John Conway for allowing me access to the BBC cuttings library in Belfast, Anne Crilly, John Foster at the NUJ, Michael Goodall of the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland, Ted Howell and Pat OHare of the Sinn Fin Foreign Affairs Bureau, Oliver Kearney, Marian Laragy and Helen Dady at the Irish Information Partnership, Bill McGookin of the RUC, Paddy and Barra McGrory, Niall Meehan, Fr. Raymond Murray, Michael Ritchie at the Committee on the Administration of Justice, Bill Rolston, Mike Tomlinson, the Ulster Information Service, Robin Wilson, Jane Winter, George Woodman, the Librarian at Stormont. For asking questions in the House and finding other bits of information, thanks to Mike Brown MP, Frank Dobson MP, George Galloway MP, Kevin McNamara MP and Tom Lyne. The Northern Ireland Information Service were also very helpful, at least in the early stages of the research. Special thanks to Liz Curtis and Aly Renwick for access to the voluminous Information on Ireland archive and to Liz for endless conversations, tips and information. Thanks to David Maguire for his encyclopaedic (and pedantic) knowledge of Irish history. Gerard McLaughlin helped immensely with introductions and contacts as well as providing accommodation in the McLaughlin guesthouse The Cheapest Place in Town. Thanks also to Cahal McLaughlin in Belfast and Jim Curran in Derry for recording local news bulletins. For help in tracking down British propaganda materials and other pieces of information overseas thanks to Pat Doherty, Jack Holland, Fr. Sean McManus, Rita Mullan and Aogan Maolchatha.

No researcher with a genuine interest in the Northern Ireland conflict can ignore the wealth of materials housed in the wonderful political collection at the Linenhall library in Belfast. The contents of the collection and the immense helpfulness of Robert Bell, Bern Kane and their colleagues have been essential to the completion of this book. Every major city should have its own version. Unfortunately it seems that some elements of the Republican Movement do not share my admiration: in early January 1994 the IRA placed fire bombs in the Library, which narrowly avoided destroying the entire collection.

Understandably many of those who helped did so on the condition that they would remain anonymous. My thanks to all of those journalists, activists and civil servants who supplied me with information and views, especially those who spoke openly when they might have chosen not to.

For help with the organisation of audience discussion groups thanks to Kate Phillips, George Greig and Bob Turner at the WEA, Kathy McMaster at SACRO, Malcolm Thwaite at Glasgow School of Art, Jane Miller, Robert Miller, Jeanne Barsby in Chislehurst, Janis Anderson in Harrow, John Hunter of Hammersmith police station, Lt. Col. P.N.P. Watts of the Royal Military College of Science in Swindon, Major David Magee and Major J. P. Hannan, RAEC, Redford Barracks, Edinburgh and the Ministry of Defence for allowing me access to the soldiers. In Belfast thanks to Roisin McDonough, Maggie Bowers at Dee Street Community Centre, Hazel Bruce of the Shankill womens group, Mr Bahman at Farset, Dr Jack Spence of Suffolk Community Services Group, Stevie Johnston at the Falls Community Council. Thanks also to Phil Radcliffe at Manchester University for the American groups. Lastly thanks very much to all those who participated in the audience discussion groups, for putting up with my questions.

I am indebted to my colleagues at the Glasgow University Media Group for their criticisms and advice on early drafts of the material contained here. Thanks to John Eldridge, Lesley Henderson, Jenny Kitzinger, Greg McLaughlin, Jacquie Reilly and especially to Greg Philo.

I typed most of this myself, but thanks to Kathleen Davidson for typing the first draft of and especially to Joanne Yuill for coping so good humouredly with endless extra bits and changes.

Thanks to Pressdram Ltd for permission to reproduce the cover of Private Eye, Colin Wheeler for permission to reproduce his cartoon from the Independent and the Los Angeles Times for permission to reproduce the Wasserman cartoon from the Boston Globe. Thanks are also due to the Deputy Keeper of Records, Public Records Office of Northern Ireland and the Copyright Officer, Public Records Office, Kew, for permission to publish from Crown papers and to the BBC for permission to publish from papers held at the Written Archives Centre.

Lastly, my love and thanks to Emma Waddell and to Caitlin Miller, who was born days after the first draft of what follows was finished.

David Miller
Glasgow, August 1994

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