eBook

Soft news goes to war

Baum, Matthew A

2003,2011

Overview

The American public has consistently declared itself less concerned with foreign affairs in the post-Cold War era, even after 9/11, than at any time since World War II. How can it be, then, that public attentiveness to U.S. foreign policy crises has increased? This book represents the first systematic attempt to explain this apparent paradox. Matthew Baum argues that the answer lies in changes to television's presentation of political information. In so doing he develops a compelling \"byproduct\" theory of information consumption. The information revolution has fundamentally changed the way the mass media, especially television, covers foreign policy. Traditional news has been repackaged into numerous entertainment-oriented news programs and talk shows. By transforming political issues involving scandal or violence (especially attacks against America) into entertainment, the \"soft news\" media have actually captured more viewers who will now follow news about foreign crises, due to its entertainment value, even if they remain uninterested in foreign policy. Baum rigorously tests his theory through content analyses of traditional and soft news media coverage of various post-WWII U.S. foreign crises and statistical analyses of public opinion surveys. The results hold key implications for the future of American politics and foreign policy. For instance, watching soft news reinforces isolationism among many inattentive Americans. Scholars, political analysts, and even politicians have tended to ignore the soft news media and politically disengaged citizens. But, as this well-written book cogently demonstrates, soft news viewers represent a largely untapped reservoir of unusually persuadable voters.

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Subject: Access Hollywood / Americans / Anecdote / Awareness / Bill Clinton / Business / BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Media & Communications / Ceteris paribus / Coefficient / Cold War / Content analysis / Cynicism (contemporary) / Domestic terrorism / Dummy variable (statistics) / Entertainment Tonight / Face the Nation / Foreign policy / Foreign policy of the United States / Foreign relations / George W. Bush / Graduate school / Gulf War / History & Theory / Industries / Infotainment / Inside Edition / Isolationism / Lewinsky scandal / Local news / Logit / Magazine format television programs / Magazine format television programs -- United States / Media & Communications / Media Monitor / Military operation / Monica Lewinsky / MSNBC / News / News magazine / News media / News program / Nielsen Media Research / Opinion poll / Oprah Winfrey / Ordered logit / Percentage / Percentage point / Pew Research Center / Political campaign / Political party / Political philosophy / POLITICAL SCIENCE / POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory / Politician / Politics / Prediction / Probability / Public interest / Public opinion / Regis Philbin / Respondent / Result / Saddam Hussein / Sex scandal / Source (journalism) / Standard error / Statistical significance / Television broadcasting of news / Television broadcasting of news -- United States / Terrorism / The New York Times / The Oprah Winfrey Show / Trade-off / Unemployment / United States / United States -- Foreign relations -- Public opinion / Viewing (funeral) / Voting / Wag the Dog / War / World Trade Organization / World War II
• ISBN: 0691123772, 9780691123776, 0691115869, 9780691115863, 1400841283, 9781400841288