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Troubles. 4 Paramilitary groups were formedonbothsides,includingtheIrish Republican Army (IRA) who sought reunification ofNorthern Ireland with the free Irish state and pro-British Protestantgroupsknowncollectivelyas loyalists. 5TheBritishArmycameunder the attacks of both nationalist and unionist paramilitary groups as both sidesdecidedthattheBritishArmywas notdoingenoughtostopviolenceagainst them. 6Thesituationgrewinto30yearsof bloody conflicts,with residents living undertheconstantthreatofbombings, sh shootings,andassassinations. 7
This continued untilthe Good Friday Agreementof1998,whichcalledforthe formation of a power-sharing governmentthatensuredrepresentation ofboth nationalistsand unionists,the decommissioning of weapons held by paramilitarygroups,andthereductionof British British Military presence. The Agreementwassignedon10April1998, and endorsed by public referendum in May1998. 8
Atthispoint,itisimportanttonotethat on thesubjectoftheNorthern Ireland peaceprocess,therearedisagreements regardingtheGoodFridayAgreement’s true motivations and effectiveness. 9 However, analysis on the political motivation and effectiveness of the ag agreementwillhavetotakeonadifferent analysisonitsown,onewhichthisarticle doesnotundertake.Anotherkeypointto note regarding the Good Friday Agreementthatisrelevanttothisarticle isthatdespiteitssubsequenthiccups,the numberofinjuriesand casualtiesa er the the agreementwas significantly lower thanduringtheTroubles,whichIargue constitutessuccessfulde-escalation.
TheRoleplayedby theMediainthe1998
GoodFriday Agreement
The Themassmediaplaysapartinconflict de-escalation because they are able to ensure progress and accountability in peace-making processes between politicalleadersofcontending political parties(“parties”herereferstodifferent partiesinaconflictratherthanpartiesof partisan partisanpolitics).
InthecaseoftheNorthernIrelandpeace process, there was intense media coverage during the last few weeks leading up to the Good Friday Agreement.Thispushedrepresentatives from theUK,RepublicofIreland,and fourmainpoliticalpartiesfrom Northern Ireland Ireland to sign the deal instead of draggingouttheprocessorbackingout altogether.
In fact,we now know that political leadersfrom differentsidesrevealed to journalistsinprivateconversationsthat pressure was cooked up from having 60-70 television vans parked outside Stormont(thelocationofthepeacetalks) thatconstantlyreportedanyupdatesthe sp spokespersongaveout.Withthefeedin turnbeingchannelledtopoliticalleaders insidethebuilding,theheavypresenceof mediacreatedaheightenedurgencyfor them to address difficulties thatwere facingthepeacedeal.Furthermore,short of direct communication between contendi contendingsides,airtimeandinterviews with the media became a way that politicalleaderssignalledeachotheron their commitment levels towards the
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