The image of the German Democratic Republic in the British press 1972-1989

Despite growing interest in British-East German relations in recent years, little academic attention has thus far been paid to the British perception of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) during its existence. This thesis therefore aims to broaden this still rudimentary academic discourse by exploring the image of the second German state in the British quality press between 1972 and 1989. As an active contributor to the shaping of the GDR’s image in Britain, the press has thus far been predominantly ignored by academic scholars. Using discourse analysis, it will be demonstrated that the substantial level of British press coverage was able to present a more detailed picture of the GDR, and with it, a more multifaceted image of the country than was detectable in other discourses of the time. In particular, the inclusion of several newspapers with differing political biases helps to show the range of opinions which existed in British society. This study investigates the five main subject areas that received the most attention from the press: identity, foreign policy, opposition, the Wall and sport. In order to offer a comprehensive picture of the press discourse, this thesis additionally investigates the working conditions of British journalists in the GDR. For this purpose, qualitative interviews with nine journalists who reported for British quality newspapers and the news agency Reuters have been conducted.