Honourable Mention: On Message: News Media Influence on Military Strategy in Somalia and Iraq

Abstract

This paper provides an analysis of the role of the mass media on American strategic policy in the conflicts in Somalia in 1992-1993 and the 2003 Iraq War. It argues that American policy makers have more autonomy in foreign policy decision-making than is frequently perceived by scholars supporting the notion that mass media organizations possess extensive agenda-setting power, commonly know as the “CNN effect.” The arguments of scholars supporting the agenda-setting power of media organizations are discussed and evaluated to determine if US military strategy was affected by the largely negative media presence in either of these conflicts. This paper is unique because it shifts focus away from the field of foreign policy, and specifically the decision making process surrounding engagement and extraction from war zones, and instead focuses the news media’s role in influencing strategic direction of a war. It concludes that the negative tone of the news media did not have a significant effect on military strategy due to the consistent messages delivered by American elites throughout both conflicts, and the inability of news makers to force any noticeable changes to military activities.