War Coverage in the American Media

Term Paper (Advanced seminar) , 2004 , 21 Pages , Grade: 2 (B)

American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography

The war coverage in the American media is a theme that
shows the reality of the American democracy. Though the
media in the U.S. is rarely limited by law it was often used for
special purposes. The latest example is the war with Iraq
where all kinds of media were employed to create a pro-war
opinion within the population of the USA. I will lead further into
that in chapter 6.
The history of the American media makes up the beginning of
this paper (chapter 2, page 4) and the history of the American
war coverage (chapter 3, page 8). In my opinion the
knowledge about these things is important to understand how
the American media act and work today.
A summary of all chapters and some of my personal
conclusions can be found in chapter 7 from page 19.
Examples for the coverage of American led wars are the
Vietnam War (chapter 4, page 10), the second Gulf War
(chapter 5, page 12), and the third Gulf War (chapter 6, page
14).
There were various sources for this paper. First of all I want to
mention “The American Age” by Walter LaFeber1. Furthermore
the “Länderbericht USA”2, the “stern”, “The Media in American
Politics” by Paletz3, and several articles from the seminar
reader which will be listed in the list of sources (page 21).
Additionally I used the “Microsoft Encarta 96”4 which was a
very useful starting place for me.
1 LaFeber, Walter: The American Age. U.S. Foreign Policy at Home and Abroad. W.W. Norton &
Company, New York, London, 1994.
2 Adams, W. P., E.-O. Czempiel, B. Ostendorf, K. L. Shell, P. B. Spahn, M. Zöller (Hrsg.):
Länderbericht USA I; Länderbericht USA II. Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Schriftenreihe Band
293/I und 293/II, Bonn, 1992.
3 Paletz, David L.: The Media in American Politics. Longman, 2002.
4 Microsoft® Encarta® 96 Encyclopedia. 1993-1995 Microsoft Corporation.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• History of the U.S. media
• History of American War Coverage
• The Vietnam War Coverage
• The Second Gulf War Coverage
• The Third Gulf War Coverage
• Summary
• Sources

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This term paper examines the role of the American media in covering wars, focusing on the relationship between media coverage and the formation of public opinion. It explores how the media has been utilized for specific purposes, particularly in the context of the recent wars in Iraq. The paper highlights the significance of understanding the historical evolution of American media and war coverage in order to comprehend contemporary media practices.

• The impact of the American media on public opinion during wartime
• The historical development of the American media landscape
• The evolution of war coverage in American media
• The role of media in shaping public perception of war
• Specific examples of war coverage, including the Vietnam War, the Second Gulf War, and the Third Gulf War

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the paper's focus on war coverage in the American media, emphasizing the media's influence on public opinion and the significance of understanding its historical evolution. It introduces the key examples of the Vietnam War, the Second Gulf War, and the Third Gulf War, which will be explored in detail later in the paper.
• History of the U.S. media: This chapter traces the development of the American media from its beginnings with the first newspapers in the 18th century to the rise of the penny press and the emergence of mass media in the 19th century. It highlights key milestones such as the establishment of the "Boston News-Letter", the trial of John Peter Zenger, and the impact of the Industrial Revolution on newspaper production.
• History of American War Coverage: This chapter examines the evolution of war coverage in the American media, discussing the role of media in shaping public opinion and the relationship between journalism and the government. It explores various factors that have influenced war coverage, including censorship, propaganda, and the changing dynamics of media outlets.
• The Vietnam War Coverage: This chapter focuses on the media coverage of the Vietnam War, analyzing the impact of television and the rise of anti-war sentiment. It explores the role of journalists in challenging government narratives and the influence of media on public perception of the conflict.
• The Second Gulf War Coverage: This chapter examines the media coverage of the Second Gulf War, focusing on the role of embedded journalists, the use of propaganda, and the impact of new media technologies on war reporting. It explores the relationship between media coverage and the public's understanding of the conflict.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This term paper focuses on the key concepts of American media, war coverage, public opinion, and the influence of media on political discourse. It explores the historical development of American media, the evolution of war reporting practices, and the impact of media on public perception of war. The paper examines specific examples of war coverage, such as the Vietnam War, the Second Gulf War, and the Third Gulf War, to illustrate the complex relationship between media and politics in the United States.

• College: Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald (Anglistics/ American Studies)
• Course: American Media Culture
• Grade: 2 (B)
• Author: Juliane Weuffen (Author)
• Publication Year: 2004
• Pages: 21
• Catalog Number: V30393
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638316606
• Language: English
• Tags: Coverage, American, Media, American, Media, Culture