Pockets of Resistance: Theorising media-state relations and the case of British media and the 2003 Iraq Invasion

For scholars of media and war, the 2003 invasion of Iraq is a compelling case to study. As part of President Bush’s ‘war on terror’, the invasion was the most controversial British foreign policy decision since Suez, and its ramifications generated widespread political, media and popular dissent. As such, it is a case that, at face value, challenges existing elite-driven accounts of media-state relations (e.g. Bennett, 1990; Hallin, 1986). Drawing upon a uniquely detailed and rich content and framing analysis of UK television and press coverage of this invasion as well as interviews with key journalists, this paper critically reviews our existing theoretical understanding of wartime media-state relations. We show that there was a significant diversity of coverage across the UK national press which included a surprisingly vociferous anti-war press, whilst specific TV news channels succeeded in achieving a remarkable degree of independence. It is argued that, whilst elite-driven accounts still hold substantial explanatory purchase, a theoretical framework that is consistent with strands of new institutionalism and field theory provides the starting point for a more nuanced understanding of the media-foreign policy dynamic, one that enriches current elite-driven accounts.