'Miserable Conflict and Confusion' - by Erin Kate Scheopner (Paperback)

About the Book

This book analyses British national press coverage of Ireland and the 'Irish question' between 1916 and 1922, from the aftermath of the Easter Rising to the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. It argues that the national press actively helped to shape the course of events that eventually led to the signing of the Treaty.

Book Synopsis

This book investigates the way the British national press covered Ireland and the 'Irish question' from the aftermath of the Easter Rising in 1916 to the ratification of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1922. Bridging the fields of history and media studies, it seeks to add to our understanding of the complex relationship between the press and politics.

Using a case study of 11 newspapers, Erin Kate Scheopner investigates daily press coverage from the formative 1916-22 period to offer broader contextualisation and critical analysis of what the press, the reading public, and the government recognised to be happening in Ireland. The material examined includes articles, dedicated series, editorials, cartoons, letters to the editor, and reports from outside journalists and foreign press outlets. This research confirms that the British national press were not neutral bystanders in the Irish question debate but were active participants, helping to shape and influence the course of events that led to the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty.

Review Quotes

'Academically rigorous, non-partisan, exhaustively researched, and supported by ample evidence, Scheopner's first monograph deserves commendation for its dedication to archival research and dealing with the Irish Revolution as seen through the prism of British public opinion.' Emmanuel Destenay, Journal of British Studies

'Providing a unique insight into the interaction between media and politics at a crucial period of Irish history, this book demonstrates the key role of the press in shaping and interpreting the events that shaped the destiny of a nation. Based on extensive original research, it provides a nuanced appreciation of the press as a player in, and an observer of, the world of politics as the demand for Irish independence grew in intensity.'
-Mark O'Brien, Associate Professor of Journalism History, Dublin City University

'This well-researched and intriguing study offers the first detailed examination of how the British people and government came around to offering a home rule scheme in 1921 that in many ways far exceeded what they were willing to grant just a few years earlier. It validates the argument that the British negotiators were, as Collins and Griffith believed, genuinely offering all that was politically possible at that time.'
- Michael de Nie, Professor of History, University of West Georgia

About the Author

Erin Kate Scheopner is an independent scholar based in Massachusetts, USA.