Late-Breaking Foreign Policy: The News Media's Influence on Peace Operations

Ever since the Persian Gulf war and the constant television coverage it received, there has been a growing public debate about the media's role in defining American foreign policy. It is widely thought that with the technological advances made in communication, American foreign policy is subject to the ""CNN effect""--meaning that it is based on public pressure generated by the media. Strobel (a Washington Times reporter and former fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace) here argues that the relationship between policy makers and the media is a complex one, and that government officials use the media to serve their own goals more than the media drives policy decisions. He focuses on the major peace initiatives that the U.S. has participated in since the gulf war, with particular attention paid to the humanitarian effort in Somalia. Strobel believes that television can exert undue influence over policy decisions only if there is a lack of leadership. If the government defines particular objectives and goals for a mission, the government can usually rely on the support of the American public no matter the media's position. However, if an operation veers off course, the media can make officials react to the pressure of the moment. Many military and political officials in Somalia, for example, considered the U.S. operation there a success in that it prevented hundreds of thousands of people from dying of starvation. But because the government did not clearly and repeatedly state the objectives, it is considered a failure by many in that there were 28 American casualties. Drawn from scores of interviews and government documents, this is a well-written piece of research that will completely engage readers interested in the media's place in today's culture. (June)