The war that wasn't on the news: 'In-group nationalism' and 'out-group nationalism' in newspaper supplements

Media scholars investigating journalism during conflicts tend to focus on the news sections. This study, conversely, probes newspapers' sports, lifestyle, arts and entertainment supplements. Based on a close reading of Israel's leading daily newspapers' supplements during the 2006 Lebanon War (July-August 2006), the article's narratological analysis conceptualizes and distinguishes between 'in-group nationalism' and 'out-group nationalism'; that is, manifestations of nationalism that look inward, to the 'in-group' ('us'), expressed through journalistic representations of national unity (e.g. coverage of artists performing in war zones), versus manifestations of nationalism directed at 'out-groups' ('them'), which are scrutinized according to 'friend or foe' criteria while using charged terminology, including allegations of anti-Semitism. The article also refers to rare manifestations of anti-nationalism, which only serve to emphasize the overall 'rallying 'round the flag' of the supplements. This typology helps to expose the political role of popular culture during wartime.