Constructing the image of soldiers by using newspaper media during the final phase of war in Sri Lanka


Abstract views: 170 / PDF downloads: 209

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47243/jos.2.2.03

Keywords:

war, soldiers, final phase, constructing the identity, newspaper

Abstract

Sri Lanka has experienced an ethnic conflict for nearly three decades (1983-2009). As of any conflict, military forces have played a key role by actively involving in the battlefield during this war.  However, it was evident that during different phases of the war in Sri Lanka, the acceptance and the reputation of the armed forces by the civil society have subjected to a great extent of variation. Although protecting the country was their duty, criticisms directed against them because of their military actions. In this context, there was an active attempt to legitimize battle, and media was widely used as a platform for this process. Although a considerable number of literature and researches have been conducted to study the war in Sri Lanka, the lack of studies and literature regarding the soldiers is recognizable. Hence this study tried to fill that study gap by focusing on how print media was used to construct the image of the soldiers in the final phase of the war in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the objective of this study was to critically investigate the role of newspapers in terms of constructing the identity of soldiers during the final phase, from 2006 to 2009. This was based on a discourse analysis of the weekend Sinhala and English newspapers. This study revealed that, different identities have existed towards the soldiers. Furthermore, as another observed fact, the newspapers have widely highlighted and brought forward the humanitarian facet of these soldiers. However, this study was conducted based on the newspapers of only two official languages. This may lead to miss the perspectives from the Tamil newspapers which may have conveyed other opinions about the soldiers and their actions, during these periods.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

DR BALASOORIYA, M. & JAYAWARDHENA, C., (Ed), (2011), Prabhakaran's dream state - The Origin and Destruction of the LTTE, Colombo, Vijithayapa Publications

BRAGHMANAGE, B. (2009), ‘This military victory is a happiness for all of us who appreciate the democracy’ (Silumina, 24 May 2009)

GOLDSWORTHY, H, Ian (Ed), (1999), The Roman Army as a Community, London: University of London

GORVETT, Z. (2015), The Hidden Psychology of Voting, BBC Future. Retrieved form https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150506-the-dark-psychology-of-voting [5th June 2021]

HBERMAS, J. (1989), The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: An Inquiry into a Category of Bourgeois Society, Massachusetts, The MIT Press

DR JAYATHUNGA, R. M., (2004), Psychological effects of war stress, Colombo, Wijesooriya Publications

KUMARATHUNGA, (1995), President Chandrika Bankdaranayaka Kumarathunga’s Official Website, Retrieved form [ 21 June 2021]

MALTBY, S., (2010), Military Media Management, London, Routledge

MCNAIR, B. (2011), An Introduction to Political Communication, New York, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group

MERRIAM WEBSTER DICTIONARY, (2021), “Soldier”, (online), Retrieved from http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/soldier [ 05 June 2021]

NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL OF SRI LANKA, (2010), Ethnic Issue in Sri Lanka Yesterday Today and Tomorrow, Colombo, National Peace Council of Sri Lanka

PARKER, M. (2018), What are the duties of a soldier in the army? Retrieved from https://careertrend.com/facts-5002212-what-duties-soldier-army.html [5th June

PERERA, K. S. (2003), Newspaper Reader and Credibility, Colombo, Godage Publications

PERERA, R. (2013), War Heroes Who Shattered Prabhakaran's Eelam Dream, Nugegoda, Sarasavi Publications

PRESS ASSOCIATIONS OF SRI LANKA, (2002), Journalism Review - III, Colombo, Press Associations of Sri Lanka

SECURITY FORCES HEADQUARTERS MEDIA UNIT. (2021), Mavilaru Operation - 20 July 2006 to August 2006, Retrieved from https://alt.army.lk/sfhqeast/content/mavilaru-operation-20- july-2006-09-aug-2006 [17th June 2021]

SRI LANKA COMMANDO REGIMENT. (2000), Vacancies, (Lankadeepa, 05 November, 2000)

SRI LANKA ARMY. (2001), Vacancies, (Lankadeepa, 13 July, 2001)

TRIAD, (2021), ‘Api Wenuwen Api’, (Online), Retrieved form http://triad.lk/ [05 June 2021]

UYANGODA, J. (2011), Nation, Nationalism and the Nation State - Political Theory and Practice, Colombo, Social Scientists’ Association

WEERASINGHE, T. (2007), Critical Study of Media and Methodology in the Social Sciences of Journalism, Nugegoda, Sarasavi Publications

WIJEWEERA, (2009), Countries not have the compulsory military services (Lankadeepa, 14 June, 2009)

Downloads

Published

26.08.2021

How to Cite

Karunanayake, A. (2021). Constructing the image of soldiers by using newspaper media during the final phase of war in Sri Lanka . JOURNAL OF ORIGINAL STUDIES, 2(2), 87–97. https://doi.org/10.47243/jos.2.2.03