The Impact of Media on the PIRA

The Impact of Media on the PIRA

Media has increasingly impacted the way terrorist events are portrayed and remembered, and its influence has only increased since the actions of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA).  During “The Troubles” within Northern Ireland, the media played a vital role in forming opinions and garnering support for each side of the conflict.  It is noted that “‘96 was sort of a seminal year for cable news”, which conveniently was the same year the PIRA began some of their most influential campaigns (NPR 2005).  Propaganda and subsequent reactions are key elements in spreading the ideas and goals of terrorist groups, and due to the unprecedented increase in the scope of televised news broadcasting at the time, PIRA movements and reactions by locals were broadcast faster and more accurately than ever before.

Because the PIRA saw itself as somewhat of a successor to the original IRA, they employed similar tactics to further their cause.  Jeremy Meehan notes that “One of the IRA’s strategies, as stated in the manual, was, ‘To sustain the war and gain support for its ends by National and International propaganda and publicity campaigns’ ” (Meehan 2011).  The PIRA mirrored this, as they too attempted to gain recognition and influence by appealing to the general public through political propaganda.  While the PIRA generated multiple types of popular press pieces to increase support, “the most common propaganda themes are Ireland's historic and inalienable right to national self- determination and Irish nationalism” (Wright 1990).  These arguments were created with the intent to provide legitimacy to the work of the PIRA and show that the terror and violence that was occurring on their behalf was necessary to achieve the goal of a free Ireland.  These messages did persuade some, but the violence the PIRA advocated for and carried out prompted local Irishmen to take their own opinions to the media, which gave them the same global reach news channels now had.

In addition to purely PIRA sponsored propaganda, other actors convinced of the merits of the cause began advocating on their behalf.  The Irish rock band U2 lived and worked within the areas subject to PIRA bombings and violence, and after a Remembrance Day parade bombing that killed twelve people the lead singer Bono decided to take a principled stance on the conflict.  After singing the original song “Sunday Bloody Sunday” at a concert in Denver, “Bono’s rage boiled over, and he gave an impromptu speech, slamming not only the bombing, but the Irish-Americans who he felt were implicitly supporting or romanticizing such actions from a safe distance” (Phull 2017).  Previously bands had avoided taking sides in the conflict and voicing their opinions, but media presence was increasing and the voice of U2 was suddenly projected across the world.  Similarly, the popular Irish band The Cranberries were reaching the height of their popularity when a trashcan bombing was carried out in Warrington, England in 1993.  The explosion injured upwards of fifty people, but the only fatalities were two children aged twelve and three.  In response, the band released the song “Zombie”, which “became an anthem for innocents trapped by other people's violence” (Savage 2018).  By this time media was widespread and stories gained more traction than ever before.  This new attention on music personalities, however, led to mixed opinions and criticism, as “People called her [Dolores O’Riordan] naive and accused her of taking sides in a conflict she didn't understand” (Savage 2018).  The conflict was raging on and those with influence, specifically bands with an international following, felt it was necessary to advocate for an end to the violence that had plagued their country for decades.

The increase in media presence and scope certainly has affected how terrorist events are perceived and remembered, but it is most clear in the circumstance of the PIRA how news sources and propaganda can change the narrative being told.  These violent actions carried out may have never gained the amount of attention they had if not for the media and response by global music influences, whose opinions were only heard by the world because of media.  The relationship between the actions of the PIRA and the media has served as a starting platform for media influence in other terrorist acts, and valuable lessons can be learned by examining this link.

Works Cited

Hansen, Liane, and David Folkenflik. “The Power of the 24-Hour News Cycle.” NPR, National Public Radio Inc., 29 May 2005, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4671485.

Meehan, Jeremy. “Terrorism and the IRA: Methodologies and Context.” World Report News, 27 Aug. 2011, www.worldreportnews.com/europe-archived/terrorism-and-the-ira-methodologies-and-context.

Phull, Hardeep. “How Bono Went Head-to-Head with the IRA.” New York Post, New York Post, 28 June 2017, nypost.com/2017/06/28/that-time-bono-went-to-war-against-the-ira/.

Savage, Mark. “The Tragedy That Inspired Zombie - The Cranberries' Biggest Hit.” BBC News, BBC, 16 Jan. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42702781.

Wright, Joanne. “PIRA Propaganda: The Construction of Legitimacy.” Conflict Quarterly, University of New Brunswick, 1990, www.webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:t36fw9cn3S8J:https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/JCS/article/download/14903/15972 &cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari.