War stories : the causes and consequences of public views of war

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Bibliographic Information

War stories : the causes and consequences of public views of war

Matthew A. Baum & Tim J. Groeling

Princeton University Press, c2010

  • : pbk
  • : hardback

Available at  / 15 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [297]-313) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: hardback ISBN 9780691138589

Description

How does the American public formulate its opinions about U.S. foreign policy and military engagement abroad? "War Stories" argues that the media systematically distort the information the public vitally needs to determine whether to support such initiatives, for reasons having more to do with journalists' professional interests than the merits of the policies, and that this has significant consequences for national security. Matthew Baum and Tim Groeling develop a 'strategic bias' theory that explains the foreign-policy communication process as a three-way interaction among the press, political elites, and the public, each of which has distinct interests, biases, and incentives. Do media representations affect public support for the president and faithfully reflect events in times of diplomatic crisis and war? How do new media - especially Internet news and more partisan outlets - shape public opinion, and how will they alter future conflicts? In answering such questions, Baum and Groeling take an in-depth look at media coverage, elite rhetoric, and public opinion during the Iraq war and other U.S. conflicts abroad. They trace how traditional and new media select stories, how elites frame and sometimes even distort events, and how these dynamics shape public opinion over the course of a conflict. Most of us learn virtually everything we know about foreign policy from media reporting of elite opinions. In "War Stories", Baum and Groeling reveal precisely what this means for the future of American foreign policy.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix List of Tables xiii Preface xv Acknowledgments xvii Chapter One: News, Opinion, and Foreign Policy 1 Chapter Two: Politics across the Water's Edge 17 Chapter Three: Elite Rhetoric, Media Coverage, and Rallying'Round the Flag 46 Chapter Four: War Meets the Press: Strategic Media Bias and Elite Foreign Policy Evaluations 89 Chapter Five: Shot by the Messenger: An Experimental Examination of the Effects of Party Cues on Public Opinion Regarding National Security and War 114 Chapter Six: Tidings of Battle: Polarizing Media and Public Support for the Iraq War 149 Chapter Seven: "Reality Asserted Itself": The Elasticity of Reality and the War in Iraq 186 Chapter Eight: Barbarians inside the Gates: Partisan New Media and the Polarization of American Political Discourse 230 Chapter Nine: Back to the Future: Foreign Policy in the Second Era of the Partisan Press 284 References 297 Index 315
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780691138596

Description

How does the American public formulate its opinions about U.S. foreign policy and military engagement abroad? War Stories argues that the media systematically distort the information the public vitally needs to determine whether to support such initiatives, for reasons having more to do with journalists' professional interests than the merits of the policies, and that this has significant consequences for national security. Matthew Baum and Tim Groeling develop a "strategic bias" theory that explains the foreign-policy communication process as a three-way interaction among the press, political elites, and the public, each of which has distinct interests, biases, and incentives. Do media representations affect public support for the president and faithfully reflect events in times of diplomatic crisis and war? How do new media--especially Internet news and more partisan outlets--shape public opinion, and how will they alter future conflicts? In answering such questions, Baum and Groeling take an in-depth look at media coverage, elite rhetoric, and public opinion during the Iraq war and other U.S. conflicts abroad. They trace how traditional and new media select stories, how elites frame and sometimes even distort events, and how these dynamics shape public opinion over the course of a conflict. Most of us learn virtually everything we know about foreign policy from media reporting of elite opinions. In War Stories, Baum and Groeling reveal precisely what this means for the future of American foreign policy.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix List of Tables xiii Preface xv Acknowledgments xvii Chapter One: News, Opinion, and Foreign Policy 1 Chapter Two: Politics across the Water's Edge 17 Chapter Three: Elite Rhetoric, Media Coverage, and Rallying'Round the Flag 46 Chapter Four: War Meets the Press: Strategic Media Bias and Elite Foreign Policy Evaluations 89 Chapter Five: Shot by the Messenger: An Experimental Examination of the Effects of Party Cues on Public Opinion Regarding National Security and War 114 Chapter Six: Tidings of Battle: Polarizing Media and Public Support for the Iraq War 149 Chapter Seven: "Reality Asserted Itself": The Elasticity of Reality and the War in Iraq 186 Chapter Eight: Barbarians inside the Gates: Partisan New Media and the Polarization of American Political Discourse 230 Chapter Nine: Back to the Future: Foreign Policy in the Second Era of the Partisan Press 284 References 297 Index 315

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