Seib explores the many ways in which news coverage shapes the design and implementation of foreign policy. By influencing the political attitudes of opinion-shaping elites and the public at large, the news media can profoundly affect the conduct of foreign policy. Seib's text analyzes important examples of press influence on foreign affairs: the news media's definition of success and failure, as in reporting the 1968 Tet Offensive in Vietnam; how public impatience, fueled by news reports, can pressure presidents, as happened during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-81; how presidents can anticipate and control news media coverage, as was done by the Bush administration during the 1991 Gulf War; how press revelation or suppression of secret information affects policy, as in the cases of the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban missile crisis, and various intelligence operations; how coverage of humanitarian crises affects public opinion; the challenges of live TV coverage; and the changing influence of news in the post-Cold War world. By covering a wide range of issues and examples, this important text will stimulate thoughtful appraisal of the relationships between the news media and those who make policy. It will be of interest to students and scholars in journalism, political communication, and international relations.
As a self-proclaimed student of how the media impacts decision-making, particularly in political and military matters, I found this book worthwhile and interesting. Although the perspective it offers isn't particularly new, the historical examples offer many insights into the crises America has faced over the past decades and the important role the media has played in them. There are many examples in this book that I haven't seen addressed anywhere else. It really expanded my interest a variety of historical events from our recent past that illuminate how media has impacted political decisions and, at times, been manipulated to assert foreign policy. This is a book you might find a bit dry at the beginning, but by the third chapter, I was thoroughly enjoying it. Great book for anybody who's interested in government and needs a better understanding of its complex relationship with the media.
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