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Effects of Global Television News on U.S. Policymaking
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of global television news on the formulation and implementation of
U.S. foreign policy. While it found no evidence to support the “CNN effect,” a hypothesis that claims
global television now determines policy, it does present evidence and analysis of other significant
effects on various phases and dimensions of policymaking. This study also suggests that global news
coverage has created political, professional, and ethical dilemmas for the three major groups of
participants in policymaking: politicians, officials, and journalists. Furthermore, it asserts that these
groups have not yet sufficiently adjusted to the new television saturated environment of policymaking.
Introduction
During the last decade, the expansion of global all news television networks such as CNN
International and BBC World, and particularly their ability to influence policy in defense and
foreign affairs, has fascinated politicians, government officials, journalists, and scholars. This
fascination resulted from a perception of the media in general, and television in particular, as
being the most important power broker in politics (Gergen, 1991; Ammon, 2001; Edwards,
2001). Mediademocracy, medialism, mediapolitik, mediacracy, and teledemocracy are but a few
fashionable terms coined to describe this new media dominated political system. Application of
the same perception to foreign policy and international relations yielded similar terms and
concepts such as telediplomacy and the CNN effect. A basic assumption lies behind all these
concepts. It asserts that images of what is happening in the world are given greater significance
than what really happens. Since television creates images, policymaking has primarily become
Convention