OUTPOST

The midpoint of a historic visit -there’s that word again, historic. In the media recipe, add in the following – bridge-building, symbolism, past, future, culmination, and my own personal favourite phrase “the final political brick in the wall”. There, in two sentences, you have the media reaction to the Queen’s visit. These sound bites are, of course, correct – simple and effective in projecting a “recovered” and mature Anglo-Irish relationship to the world. The iconic imagery so far will be the arrival, the problematic visits (Garden of Remembrance, National War Memorial, and Croke Park), and her speech.

The national Irish media follow a strikingly similar tone – all of the above. The speech represents arguably the most intriguing distinction between Irish and international media. In a precise case study, let’s compare the Irish Times, the New York Times, and the Belfast Telegraph.

The Irish Times describes

“QUEEN ELIZABETH has spoken of the painful legacy of history that affects Ireland and Britain, but said that while people should bow to the past, they should not be bound by it.

“Indeed so much of this visit reminds us of the complexity of our history, its many layers and traditions, but also the importance of forbearance and conciliation; being able to bow to the past but not being bound by it.

“It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our two islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss. The events have touched us all, many of us personally, and are a painful legacy. We can never forget those who have died or been injured, or their families.”

The Queen extended her “sincere thoughts and deep sympathy” to all who had suffered as a consequence of the troubled past.”

The New York Times takes a more critical engagement

“At an official dinner on Wednesday night the queen offered what seemed an unusual, if diplomatically calibrated, suggestion of regret — short of an apology — for events that brought bloodshed to citizens of both countries.

“To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy,” she said. “With the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.”

Elizabeth prefaced her address with a greeting in Gaelic, prompting the Irish president, Mary McAleese, sitting at her side, to mouth the word “wow” in appreciation of the gesture. Her words were repeated in television coverage in both countries as an attempt to open a new chapter in a modern history dominated by Ireland’s struggle to be free of British rule.”

The Belfast Telegraph state

“And the Queen met her more than halfway across that bridge. She spoke of the weight of history and — with a nod to her visit to the Garden of Remembrance — “of being able to bow to the past, but not be bound by it”.

It was a moving speech, delivered in her clear, cut-crystal voice, and after the toast the room stood and applauded.

Not just polite applause but sustained heartfelt appreciation of the bridge that the Queen herself had built.

The Queen turned and smiled at the President. She had the look of a woman for whom the weight of history had just got a lot lighter.”

What does this tell us? The lack of in-depth critical engagement of the Irish media platform suggests the immediacy of their involvement. They are following the national script, failing to diverge beyond a general consensus on how the trip/speech needs to be interpreted. The motivations for this are clear and are not being undermined in this post but the juxtaposition of this piece with the American and Northern Irish platform opens up important questions. The inclusion by the NYT of the audible appreciation of President McAleese’s “wow” is astute in that it strikes at the essence of what is at stake during this visit – the struggle to “deal with the past” by constructing a “constructive” future, or innovation. The “limited regret motif” (i.e. deepeest sympathy) is also insightful in that it, again, engages the strategic nature of the speech.

The Belfast Telegraph provide the most appreciative tag-line in “the weight of history had just got a lot lighter.” It has got lighter, thanks to the efforts of those involved and the national media, but do not lose sight that it does still hold some weight. That is the challenge for the policymakers, communities, and individuals driving peace and economic co-operation between two islands under this particular “bridge” of partnership.