American Journalism and International Relations: Foreign Correspondence from the Early Republic to the Digital Era($45.00Value)

Description

American Journalism and International Relations argues that the American press' disengagement from world affairs has critical repercussions for American foreign policy. Giovanna Dell'Orto shows that discourses created, circulated, and maintained through the media mold opinions about the world and shape foreign policy parameters. This book is a history of U.S. foreign correspondence from the 1840s to the present, relying on more than 2,000 news articles and twenty major world events, from the 1848 European revolutions to the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. Americans' perceptions of other nations, combined with pervasive and enduring understandings of the United States' role in global politics, act as constraints on policies. Dell'Orto finds that reductive media discourse (as seen during the 1967 War in the Middle East or Afghanistan in the 1980s) has a negative effect on policy, whereas correspondence grounded in events (such as during the Japanese attack on Shanghai in the 1930s or the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991) fosters effective leadership and realistic assessments. "In theory how the American press covers the world has implications for the U.S. public’s understanding of international affairs, for the parameters that determine policy makers’ options, and thus, ultimately, for U.S. foreign policy itself. In American Journalism and International Relations, Giovanna Dell'Orto puts this theory to the test. Through a nuanced discourse analysis of more than 2,000 news articles spanning 150 years and 20 significant events, she convincingly shows that the quality and focus of media coverage can – and have – fostered discursive environments that at times constrain policy makers’ ability to construct sound public policy and that at others facilitate this ability. This is an insightful book for its weaving together of theories drawn from journalism studies, media studies, and international affairs; its presentation and interpretation of empirical findings; its reflections on the normative implications of these findings; and its recommendations for improving the interplay of the news media, the public, and policy makers." Michael X. Delli Carpini, Dean, Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania "At once a history, critique, and argument for the importance of international journalism in the United States. Through its original perspective and convincing research, this book not only makes clearer the significance of foreign reporting for foreign policy; it helps us understand how nations see – and fail to see." Mitchell Stephens, New York University "A thoroughly reported and well-documented look at the impact and influence of foreign correspondents in enhancing the American public’s understanding of foreign affairs and America's role in the world, and the danger posed by the sharp drop in foreign coverage by U.S.-based media. Professor Dell'Orto's meticulous analysis underscores the importance of thoughtful journalism in an increasingly globalized world." Claude E. Erbsen, Retired Vice President and Director of World Services, The Associated Press "Dell'Orto’s reflections on the past and future of international news as it relates to American democracy merit close attention by anyone interested in the evolution of the nation's worldview and in its need for substantive foreign news. This volume makes a major contribution to the study of journalism and international relations from an American perspective." James D. Startt, American Journalism "… provides a scholarly history that not only chronicles how US journalists have covered foreign events, but also explores how this coverage has affected the foreign policy of the US and broader international affairs … an important study for audiences interested in media, international relations, and journalism … Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates, graduate, research, and professional collections." S. B. DeMasi, Choice American Journalism and International Relations argues that the American press' disengagement from world affairs has critical repercussions for American foreign policy. Giovanna Dell'Orto is Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota, where she received her Ph.D. in 2004. She was a reporter for The Associated Press in three US states and Italy. She is the author of The Hidden Power of the American Dream: Why Europe's Shaken Confidence in the United States Threatens the Future of US Influence (2008) and Giving Meanings to the World: The First US Foreign Correspondents, 1838–1859 (2002) and co-author (with Hazel Dicken-Garcia) of Hated Ideas and the American Civil War Press (2008).