Great Britain? Constructing great power status through online news reporting of foreign conflict

This article argues that online news coverage of foreign conflict depicts Britain as holding special responsibilities on the world stage, reproducing its status as a “great power.” Taking a discourse-theoretic approach – focusing on meaning making – the article examines British coverage of Libyan government violence in response to pro-democracy protests during the 2011 civil war. The Libyan people are constructed as aspiring democrats ultimately unable to “do” democracy correctly, while Muammar Gaddafi (who led the country for 42 years following a coup) is shown to be a ‘tyrant’ and a ‘dictator.’ In contrast, Britain is shown to have a special responsibility to champion human rights and democratic processes abroad, especially during conflict. Overall, in a context in which British military power is often perceived to be declining, an emphasis upon special responsibilities (re)confirms Britain’s status as a great power, with a core role on the world stage.