The Faces of the Enemy: The Representation of the ‘Other’ in the Media Discourse of the Falklands War Anniversary

Identifier:  imarina:6389057

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina6389057

Authors:  Bellot A

Abstract:
© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. The year 2012 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Falklands War, amidst a revival of public discussion of the conflict due to the Argentine demand that the issue of sovereignty be reconsidered. This article will explore how the figure of the ‘enemy’ was constructed by the British newspaper discourse around the anniversary of the war by offering an analysis of language and press imagery in a selection of tabloid and quality British national newspapers from 2012. The article argues that the British press made little effort to show Argentina's position. The Falklands War of 1982 continued to be justified and validated as a just war by the British press in 2012, supporting official positions and presenting a negative image of the Argentinian enemy ‘other’. This brought about a reinvention and reinforcement of British national identities in connection with the war, 30 years after its conclusion.