Ceasefire as bad news: the coverage of the end of ETA in the Basque and Spanish press

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2017-1228

Keywords:

Journalism, framing, news coverage, conflict, ETA, Basque

Abstract

The Basque separatist organization ETA announced the cessation of its armed campaign on October 20, 2011. It was the main cover story in all Basque and Spanish newspapers. It was the long awaited definitive end of a 40-year-long violent campaign, but it was not framed as good news in all the media. This article studies how the Basque and Spanish press reported the process leading to the end of ETA’s campaign. For that purpose, we have selected seven newspapers, four editedin the Basque Country (El Correo, Deia, Gara and Berria) and three edited in Madrid (El País, El Mundo and Abc), and analyzed how they reported ten significant events that occurred from 2009 to 2011, chosen for their significance in the process. In a qualitative study carried out through discourse analysis and framing theory, we have examined and compared the headlines and news stories of the sample. The study reflects that the editorial line of each media organization regarding the Basque conflict entirely conditioned the perspective from which each one reported the events leading to the end of ETA’s campaign. There is a significant difference in the media coverage provided by the Basque and Spanish newspapers. Most Basque newspapers framed the events related to the end of ETA in the context of a desirable peace process. Some influential Spanish media, in contrast, framed these events as if the cessation of violence was an undesirable outcome.

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Author Biographies

Imanol Murua, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

Lecturer of Journalism at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU since 2015. Accredited as Assistant Professor by the agency Unibasq in 2014. Member since 2015 of the Research Team HGH (Media, Society & Education) recognized officially by the University of the Basque Country (Ref.: GIU 11/04 and GIU 14/09). A Journalism graduate (UPV/EHU, 1989), he obtained his Ph.D. in Basque Studies (University of Nevada, Reno) and in Social Communication (UPV/EHU) in 2014. He is the author of six books and the co-author of four books. His most recent book are Ending ETA’s Armed Campaign (Critical Terrorism Studies, Routledge, 2017) and Ekarri armak. ETAren jardun armatuaren bukaeraren kronika (Elkar, 2015), also published in Spanish (Un final para ETA. Crónica de un proceso inacabado, Ttarttalo, 2016). Professional journalist on the news magazine Argia (1989-1990), the daily newspaper Euskaldunon Egunkaria (1990-1995 and 1998-2003), the journal Jakin (1996-1998), the daily newspaper Berria (2003-2008) and freelance (1995-1996 and 2008-2010). He has been a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Jakin from 2014. He was awarded the journalism prizes Rikardo Arregi (1996, 2006 and 2010) and Argia (2008). Principal research lines: Press coverage and Basque Conflict, Communication Offices, Basque Media.

H index (Google Scholar): 4.

Txema Ramírez de la Piscina, Universidad del País Vasco / Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea

Lecturer of Journalism at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU since 1990. Accredited as Professor by the agency ANECA in 2012 and as Full Professor in 2010 by the Basque agency Unibasq. Director since 2011 of the Research Team HGH (Media, Society & Education) recognized officially by the University of the Basque Country (Ref.: GIU 11/04 and GIU 14/09). Head of the Research Project supported by the University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU (2016–2017): Innovative strategies of the main privately owned media in the Basque and Catalan languages (Ref.: PPV16/02). B.A. degree in Journalism from the EHU-UPV (University of the Basque Country) in 1982. Journalist on a variety of Media sources from 1979 to 1989. PhD in Journalism in 1993. Assistant Professor of UPV/EHU since 1998. Author or co-author of twelve scientific books. The last one was titled: Quality Journalism: Is there a future? (UPV/EHU). The most important were Gabinetes de Comunicación (1995. Bosch) and Al filo de la (in)comunicación (2002, Fundamentos). Member of the associations IAMCR (International Association for Media and Communication Research) and AE-IC (Asociación Española de Investigadores en Comunicación). He was a member of the Board of Directors of EiTB (The Basque Country's Public Broadcasting Service) during 2013 and 2014. Assistant professor at the University of Querétaro (Mexico), in 2001. Frequent contributor to media sources such as Berria, Radio Vitoria, Euskadi Irratia and Euskalerria Irratia. Special recognition from the Cuban Ministry of Science for his participation in the VI International Symposium on Social Communication that took place in Santiago de Cuba in January of 1997. He is the author and co-author of about 60 specialized articles in scientific reviews. He was a collaborator or director on ten research projects from 1994 to 2016. He has participated in many national and international Scientific Congresses. Principal research lines: Press coverage and Basque Conflict, Quality Journalism, Media Literacy, Communication Offices, Basque Media, Alternative Media.

H index (Google Scholar): 11.

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Published

2017-11-23

How to Cite

Murua, I., & Ramírez de la Piscina, T. . (2017). Ceasefire as bad news: the coverage of the end of ETA in the Basque and Spanish press. Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, (72), 1453–1467. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2017-1228

Issue

No. 72 (2017)

Section

Miscellaneous
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