Reporting the Fleet: News Writing of British Naval Reviews and the Construction of Imperial Identity Frameworks, 1773–1914

Abstract

Framing Analysis theory posits that news writing functions as an ideological practice, jointly steered by power structures and media institutions within specific historical contexts, which systematically shapes collective cognition and directs identity formation. From 1773 to 1914, the news writing of British naval reviews constituted a pivotal site for the dynamic construction of imperial identity ideology. During this period, the dominant narrative framework underwent three significant structural transformations: evolving from an emphasis on “Monarchical Supremacy”, progressing to a discourse of “Composite Superiority”, and ultimately culminating in the paradigm of “Home Defence”. This diachronic evolution of identity narratives within naval review reportage demonstrates that the public press acted not as a passive recorder, but as an active Frame-Setter and Arbitrator of Meaning, deeply engaged in the production of the British Empire’s official ideology. Through the continuous processes of defining salient issues, attributing causality, and assigning moral and political value, this body of news writing substantially moulded the public’s overarching cognitive map and affective allegiance towards imperial rule. Consequently, it facilitated the establishment of a flexible mechanism for producing imperial identity—a mechanism characterised by its capacity for constant adaptation, strategic recalibration, and discursive regeneration in direct response to shifting geopolitical pressures and internal societal demands.