This Week, a current affairs series aired in the 1980s, released an episode on the 28th of April, 1988, titled “Death on the rock”, edited by Robert Bolton, discussing the shootings of three IRA members in Gibraltar. The documentary goes into detail about the events leading up to the shooting, asking questions about the legality of the actions taken by the British government and the SAS. The documentary uncovers their own pieces of evidence and tries to put together a more thorough picture of the events, compared to the one given by the state. To get a more thorough understanding of this episode and its place in the media and terrorism field, I will be using some of the definitions and perspectives given in Televising Terrorism (Schlesinger,
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Alternative perspective is described as follow in Televising Terrorism; “set of views, arguments, explanation and policy suggestions advocated by those who while dissenting from the official view of terrorism, accept that violence is not legitimate within liberal-democracies, though they recognise that it may be so in other political systems” (1983, p. 16). This Week takes this standpoint in their documentary, questioning the actions taken by the government. The government in turn is portrayed through an official perspective. In Televising Terrorism official perspective is described as “the set of views, arguments, explanations and policy suggestions advanced by those who speak for the state” (1983, p. 2). Although the state did not participate in the making of the documentary, the views expressed by the state are represented through Sir Geoffrey Howe, as well as the various actions taken by the British and Spanish …show more content…
Schlesinger, Murdock and Elliott describe tight format as follows “[in tight format] the images, arguments and evidence offered by the programme are organised to converge upon a single preferred interpretation and where other possible conclusions are marginalised of closed off” (1983, p. 32). Tight formats are usually associated with closed viewpoints due to the controlling nature of the official perspective, but Televising Terrorism acknowledges that, “some open programmes […] are organised in a very tight manner in order to mobilise the audience behind the alternative perspective” (1983, p. 32). This description fits This Week, as the show offers a controlled reading of the alternative perspective, actively encouraging audience to adopt the perspective by not portraying the government’s official perspective in a favourable light. Examples of this are the way the show uses eyewitnesses contradicting the government’s previous statement about the SAS members’ use of force by claiming that the terrorists had their hands in the air and did not seem to be dangerous (Bolton, 1988). This Week guides the viewers with statements like “our inquiries into the shootings in Gibraltar have revealed a number of important and troubling issues” and by having consultants outside the show going against the official perspective (Bolton, 1988). George Carman QC, a lawyer featured in “Death on the Rock”, says that “it is important that the measures that
Alternative perspective is described as follow in Televising Terrorism; “set of views, arguments, explanation and policy suggestions advocated by those who while dissenting from the official view of terrorism, accept that violence is not legitimate within liberal-democracies, though they recognise that it may be so in other political systems” (1983, p. 16). This Week takes this standpoint in their documentary, questioning the actions taken by the government. The government in turn is portrayed through an official perspective. In Televising Terrorism official perspective is described as “the set of views, arguments, explanations and policy suggestions advanced by those who speak for the state” (1983, p. 2). Although the state did not participate in the making of the documentary, the views expressed by the state are represented through Sir Geoffrey Howe, as well as the various actions taken by the British and Spanish …show more content…
Schlesinger, Murdock and Elliott describe tight format as follows “[in tight format] the images, arguments and evidence offered by the programme are organised to converge upon a single preferred interpretation and where other possible conclusions are marginalised of closed off” (1983, p. 32). Tight formats are usually associated with closed viewpoints due to the controlling nature of the official perspective, but Televising Terrorism acknowledges that, “some open programmes […] are organised in a very tight manner in order to mobilise the audience behind the alternative perspective” (1983, p. 32). This description fits This Week, as the show offers a controlled reading of the alternative perspective, actively encouraging audience to adopt the perspective by not portraying the government’s official perspective in a favourable light. Examples of this are the way the show uses eyewitnesses contradicting the government’s previous statement about the SAS members’ use of force by claiming that the terrorists had their hands in the air and did not seem to be dangerous (Bolton, 1988). This Week guides the viewers with statements like “our inquiries into the shootings in Gibraltar have revealed a number of important and troubling issues” and by having consultants outside the show going against the official perspective (Bolton, 1988). George Carman QC, a lawyer featured in “Death on the Rock”, says that “it is important that the measures that