After the shocking events of September 11th American peoples’ lives seemed to change tremendously. In reaction to the attacks, the Bush Administration initiated a “War on Terror” meant to prevent such atrocities from happening again in the future and to stop terrorism once and for all. There was widespread support for the war and after a modest start into his first term as president of the United States, Bush had now also gained far more citizen approval. To maintain steady support, the Bush Administration itself developed effective strategies such as using the media and its power to reach the biggest part of the population. Bush’s ideological and patriotic rhetoric in his reaction to the events of 9/11 aimed at positioning himself as a strong leader and this image was mostly supported by journalists.
This role of the mass media in contributing to the administration’s goal to gain support for its decisions and interests is highly discussed among scholars. Many are convinced that media coverage was influenced by politics and the administration’s manipulation and that it therefore also helped to “sell” the administration’s second war in Iraq to the American public. But by doing so, the media also neglected its most important task, namely acting as an agent between the public and the government and representing public interest. Through supporting and spreading Bush’s strategic use of ideologies and misinformation, the media helped to discourage critique before it could even form. Therefore, I argue that through the Bush Administration's powerfulstrategic manipulation of the mainstream media and the public, critical voices did not even stand a chance to initiate change. By giving up its former purpose, the media has become nothing more than a tool for the government to gain more support for its interests.
However, the reasons for the media’s decline do not only lie in the Bush Administration’s deliberate manipulation through the promotion of fear and ideologies or the construction of an enemy image as well as the silencing of critics. Changes in the media landscape, due to the developing consolidation of media ownership and the emergence of new technologies over a longer period of time made such actions possible in the first place. The news media changed in quality and the content of the news became less objective and aimed more towards being entertaining, while political topics were not covered as much anymore.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Main Part
- 2.1 The Bush Administration and the Events of 9/11 Leading to War
- 2.2 Overview on Protest Music against Bush
- 2.3 The Role of the Media As Depicted in Protest Songs against the Bush Administration and the Media Coverage.
- 2.3.1 Green Day - "American Idiot"
- 2.3.2 A Perfect Circle – "Counting Bodies like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums"
- 2.4 The Changing Role of the Media in America
- 2.5 The Media's Role during the Bush Administration
- 2.5.1 The Media during 9/11 and the Iraq War.
- 3. Conclusion
- 4. List of Works Cited
Purpose & Thematic Focus
This paper aims to thoroughly analyze the role of the media in the United States following the September 11th attacks, specifically investigating how the Bush Administration strategically manipulated mass media to secure public support for its "War on Terror" and the Iraq War, thereby effectively silencing dissenting voices. The central research question explores how the media contributed to the administration's objectives and why it became susceptible to such manipulation.
- Examination of the Bush Administration's propaganda strategies after 9/11.
- Analysis of the media's role in influencing public perception and discourse.
- Investigation into how protest music reflected critical views of the media and government.
- Tracing the historical and structural changes in the American media landscape.
- Exploration of the ideological underpinnings, such as Neoconservatism, that shaped media coverage.
- Detailed look at specific media practices, like "embedding" journalism and the "marketing" of war.
Excerpt from the Book
The Media's Role during 9/11 and the Iraq War
Another method used by the government in order to ensure support and silence critical voices through media reporting was the system of "embedding”. During the Iraq invasion of 2003 most American correspondents were embedded with the troops. This means they had access to the fighting, but only on military terms (Miller David 10). The embedding of reporters with the troops was a clever idea by the Pentagon PR planners who knew that the reporters would start identifying with the units they were accompanying. This again led to less neutrality and objectivity on the part of journalists (Gardner 113). To generate more backing in the population, the government then also deliberately manipulated the media as well by steadily feeding them “facts” and misinforming them and discrediting the press that they considered unsupportive. The war was treated like a product that had to be sold to as many people as possible and the media was needed as a crucial aide in launching the “product”. By only giving out that information that was beneficial to the government's interests and only letting the journalists see as much as the military and the government were ready to show them, the Bush Administration succeeded in silencing criticism: “The media could become eyewitnesses to the action while the government could count on far more supportive coverage as journalists and soldiers bonded under fire" (Schechter 27).
Here we can clearly see that the government relied on a "marketing” technique that was thought through very well. This technique did not only involve a war plan, but also a “media marketing plan” (29). This plan was even more valuable than the actual war plan, because as Schechter states, "[m]anipulation always works best when those who are its targets are unaware of its dynamics” (29). The Bush Administration relied on these techniques to sell the president's image and his policies and controlled how the war was to be sold and covered for the population.
An important tool in this launching of the “product” was the use of emotions, especially fear. In order to get a widespread support for the war in Iraq it was necessary to remind the public of the terrorist attacks and constantly use the common rhetoric. By using certain stereotypical representations and a certain language the Bush Administration succeeded in spreading an “enemy image”. The mass media and popular culture helped to create these images of an evil Arab and constructed the stereotype that all Muslims are Arabs and all Arabs are terrorists (Merskin 121). This agreed-upon stereotype is made possible through misinformation, namely by mixing up all Middle-Eastern looking people into one negative image, and creates a sense of “us versus them” or “good versus evil" (122). In order to get national support for the war, Iraq only had to be identified as a threat to the security of the United States and its citizens and this had to be sold to the Congress, the media and through the media to the whole nation:
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter sets the stage by describing the aftermath of 9/11, the Bush Administration's "War on Terror," and the initial public support it garnered, along with the author's argument that media was manipulated to silence critique.
2. Main Part: This extensive section explores the core arguments of the paper, detailing the Bush Administration's policies, the influence of protest music, the evolving media landscape, and the specific strategies used to control public perception.
2.1 The Bush Administration and the Events of 9/11 Leading to War: This section provides background on Bush's presidency, the events of 9/11, the subsequent "War on Terror" and Iraq War, and analyzes Bush's strategic use of patriotic rhetoric and ideologies to gain public support.
2.2 Overview on Protest Music against Bush: This chapter gives a general overview of the "Rock against Bush" movement and other protest songs that emerged to criticize Bush's administration and its war policies.
2.3 The Role of the Media As Depicted in Protest Songs against the Bush Administration and the Media Coverage.: This section delves into specific protest songs, analyzing how artists like Green Day and A Perfect Circle portrayed the media as an instrument of government manipulation and propaganda.
2.4 The Changing Role of the Media in America: This chapter examines the historical shifts in American media, including globalization, concentration of ownership, the decline in objective news reporting, and the rise of entertainment over investigative journalism.
2.5 The Media's Role during the Bush Administration: This chapter synthesizes previous findings, exploring how media concentration, the Bush Doctrine, and strategic communication techniques allowed the administration to control information and suppress dissenting voices.
2.5.1 The Media during 9/11 and the Iraq War.: This section specifically analyzes the emotional and ideologically-driven media coverage of 9/11 and the Iraq War, discussing "embedding" journalism, the "marketing" of war, and the construction of "enemy images" through fear.
3. Conclusion: This chapter summarizes the paper's findings, reaffirming the media's significant role in spreading Bush's propaganda, the administration's effective manipulation strategies, and the resulting silencing of critical voices.
Keywords
Media manipulation, Bush Administration, 9/11, War on Terror, Iraq War, protest music, Green Day, A Perfect Circle, media ownership, propaganda, Neoconservatism, American exceptionalism, embedding, public opinion, freedom of the press.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main topic of this paper?
The paper primarily investigates the role of the media in the United States after 9/11, focusing on how it was influenced and used by the Bush Administration to promote its policies and silence critical voices regarding the "War on Terror" and the Iraq War.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
Central themes include the Bush Administration's propaganda strategies, the evolution and concentration of media ownership, the depiction of media's role in protest music, the impact of Neoconservative ideologies on public discourse, and specific media techniques like "embedding" journalists during wartime.
What is the primary goal or research question of this work?
The primary goal is to analyze how the media contributed to the Bush Administration's objectives of gaining support for its military actions, and to understand the underlying reasons why the media became susceptible to such governmental manipulation.
Which scientific method or approach is used in this paper?
The paper employs a critical analysis approach, examining historical events, political rhetoric, media practices, and cultural products (like protest music) to build an argument about the media's role and manipulation during a specific political period.
What topics are addressed in the main part of the paper?
The main part covers the Bush Administration's initial actions after 9/11, an overview and detailed analysis of protest music criticizing Bush and the media, the changing role of American media due to globalization and ownership concentration, and the specific strategies used by the Bush Administration to control media narratives during 9/11 and the Iraq War.
What key terms characterize this work?
Key terms include media manipulation, Bush Administration, 9/11, War on Terror, Iraq War, protest music, propaganda, Neoconservatism, American exceptionalism, embedding, and public opinion.
How did protest music, specifically Green Day's "American Idiot," critique the media's role after 9/11?
Green Day's "American Idiot" criticized the media for spreading "paranoia," "tension," and "hysteria," suggesting that the American public was being brainwashed and manipulated by the Bush Administration and the media into accepting a "redneck agenda."
What was the "embedding" strategy, and how did it affect journalistic objectivity during the Iraq War?
The "embedding" strategy involved integrating journalists with military units during the Iraq War. This technique, devised by Pentagon PR planners, fostered identification between reporters and troops, leading to reduced neutrality and objectivity in reporting and ultimately more supportive coverage for the government.
How did the Telecommunications Act of 1996 impact media diversity and critical reporting?
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 facilitated increased concentration of media ownership by allowing companies to own more broadcast stations. This led to a decline in news quality, a shift towards entertainment, and a reduction in diverse voices, making critical reporting more challenging.
What role did "fear" play in the Bush Administration's strategy to gain public support for the Iraq War?
Fear was a crucial tool; the Bush Administration constantly reminded the public of the 9/11 attacks and used rhetoric to create an "enemy image" (e.g., of Arabs and Muslims) to justify the Iraq War, thereby keeping the population on the side of the administration by implying that American values and security were at risk.
- Citation du texte
- Katharina Gerhardt (Auteur), 2016, ''One Nation Controlled by the Media''. The Role of the Media in America after 9/11, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1609099
