Introduction

George Orwell’s novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four are deeply embedded in the culture and in education. Orwell is best considered within a long tradition of radical, progressive, critical journalism too often marginalised in the conventional histories. Orwell’s attitudes to war and peace and violence were, not surprisingly, extremely complex. Issues surrounding violence were a constant preoccupation during his lifetime. Orwell’s writings covered a vast range of genres – letters, diaries, poetry, political analysis, polemic, novels, investigative reporting, columns, war correspondence, radio plays and commentaries, book, film and drama reviews, media analysis, essays and light sketches. Journalism, then, was for Orwell, a distinct field. Given the corporate media’s historic function to promote overall the dominant political, military, economic, ideological and cultural interests in society, the chapter highlights the crucial role of the alternative media in confronting secret states — globally. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.