War Stories: The Culture of Foreign Correspondents

Mark Pedelty's book "The News from El Salvador" explores the lives, work, and culture of an international press corps, examining the institutions, practices, myths, and rituals that pattern the work of journalists everywhere. He highlights the elusiveness of the goal of objective journalism and explores alternative possibilities for war reporting, including emerging alternative international news services and ways to deepen reporters' understandings of the countries and problems they cover.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 04 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Mark Pedelty delves into the lives, work, and culture of an international press corps in his 1995 book. He examines the institutions, practices, myths, and rituals that shape the work of journalists worldwide, focusing on the reporters who covered El Salvador's civil war. Pedelty goes beyond the specific circumstances to explore the broader context in which news reports are constructed. He reveals how unnamed diplomats in the US Embassy feed stories to reporters, who are cautious not to alienate these crucial sources by providing ideological background information. Reporters are also constrained by the pens and preferences of editors who work to narrow the focus of news reporting, often removing necessary context in the process. By examining the actual production of news stories, Pedelty highlights the elusive goal of objective journalism. He shows how the biases of war correspondents are interconnected with structures of power and how these biases influence their journalistic practices.

Pedelty also explores alternative possibilities for war reporting, such as emerging alternative international news services and ways to deepen reporters' understanding of the countries and problems they cover. Drawing from anthropology, communication studies, cultural studies, and sociology, this book appeals to scholars and students in these fields, as well as journalists and anyone interested in the media and its role in shaping public perception of conflict.

Weight: 500g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367570002