Selling War, Selling Hope

Anthony R. Dimaggio

Description

Modern presidents have considerable power in selling U.S. foreign policy objectives to the public. In Selling War, Selling Hope, Anthony R. DiMaggio documents how presidents often make use of the media to create a positive informational environment that, at least in the short term, successfully builds public support for policy proposals. Using timely case studies with a focus on the Arab Spring and the U.S. "War on Terror" in the Middle East and surrounding regions, DiMaggio explains how official spin is employed to construct narratives that are sympathetic to U.S. officialdom. The mass media, rather than exhibiting independence when it comes to reporting foreign policy issues, is regularly utilized as a political tool for selling official proposals. The marginalization of alternative, critical viewpoints poses a significant obstacle to informed public deliberations on foreign policy issues. In the long run, however, the packaging of official narrative and its delivery by the media begins to unravel as citizens are able to make use of alternative sources of information and assert their independence from official viewpoints.
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Presidential Rhetoric from September 11 to the Arab Spring

1. The Rhetoric of Fear and Hope in Afghanistan

2. Selling the Iraq War

3. Failure: The Iraq War and the Declining Influence of Presidential Rhetoric

4. An Iranian Threat? Recycling the Rhetoric of Fear and Hope

5. From Fear to Democracy: Presidential Rhetoric in the Arab Spring

6. Losing Control: Obama's Rhetoric on Benghazi and Syria

Conclusion

Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• USA
• United States of America
• Película fotográfica
• English articles
• 21st century
• Visual culture
• Central government
• History of the Americas
• Central
• The
• États-Unis
• National
• Film

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 21 septembre 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 3
• EAN13: 9781438457970
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Selling War, Selling Hope
Selling War, Selling Hope
Presidential Rhetoric, the News Media, and U.S. Foreign Policy since 9/11
Anthony R. DiMaggio
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2015 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Production, Cathleen Collins
Marketing, Kate R. Seburyamo
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
DiMaggio, Anthony R., 1980–
Selling war, selling hope : presidential rhetoric, the news media, and U.S. foreign policy since 9/11 / Anthony R. DiMaggio.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4384-5795-6 (hardcover : alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-4384-5797-0 (e-book)
1. United States—Foreign relations—2001–2009. 2. United States—Foreign relations—2009– 3. Mass media and international relations—United States. 4. Communication in politics—United States. 5. Rhetoric—Political aspects—United States. 6. Political oratory—United States. 7. War on Terrorism, 2001–2009—Public opinion. 8. Arab Spring, 2010—Public opinion. 9. Public opinion—United States. I. Title.
E895.D56 2015
327.73009'0511—dc23
2014043287
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Presidential Rhetoric from September 11 to the Arab Spring
Chapter 1
The Rhetoric of Fear and Hope in Afghanistan
Chapter 2
Selling the Iraq War
Chapter 3
Failure: The Iraq War and the Declining Influence of Presidential Rhetoric
Chapter 4
An Iranian Threat? Recycling the Rhetoric of Fear and Hope
Chapter 5
From Fear to Democracy: Presidential Rhetoric in the Arab Spring
Chapter 6
Losing Control: Obama’s Rhetoric on Benghazi and Syria
Conclusion
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Figures Figure 1.1 . Presidential Rhetoric and Support for Bush’s War on Terror (September 2001) Figure 1.2 . Public Attitudes on Terror Threats and Alternatives to War (October 2001) Figure 1.3 . Public Attention to War in Afghanistan (October 2001–February 2002) Figure 1.4 . Public Support for War after September 11 (October 2001–January 2002) Figure 1.5 . Political-Media Effects on Public Opinion of War on Terror (November 2001–January 2002) Figure 1.6 . Declining Support for War (December 2008–November 2009) Figure 1.7 . Public Attention to Afghanistan (March–December 2009) Figure 1.8 . The Interplay between Casualties, Reporting, and War Opposition, Afghanistan (2009) Figure 1.9 . Public Trust in Government over Time (1964–2008) Figure 1.10 . U.S. Conflict in Afghanistan: Framing a Terrorist Threat (June–December 2009) Figure 1.11 . Framing Terrorism and Afghanistan in Cable News (June–December 2009) Figure 1.12 . Public Support for Afghan War (October 2009–January 2010) Figure 1.13 . Media Agenda-Setting on Afghanistan: Attention to the War as a Function of Reporting (2009) Figure 1.14 . Mass Media and Public Opinion on the Afghan Surge (December 2009) Figure 1.15 . Growing Opposition to the Afghan War (December 2009–March 2013) Figure 2.1 . Coverage of Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction (June 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.2 . Cable News Reporting on Iraq and Weapons of Mass Destruction (June 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.3 . Coverage of Iraq, al Qaeda, and Terror (June 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.4 . Cable Coverage of Iraq, al Qaeda, and Terror (June 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.5 . A Secondary Democracy and Human Rights Narrative (June 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.6 . Democracy and Human Rights on Cable News (June 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.7 . Major Actors in News Stories on Iraq (September 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.8 . Major Actors in Cable News Stories on Iraq (September 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.9 . Public Perceptions of an Iraqi Threat (November 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.10 . Public Opinion on Military Action on Iraq (August 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.11 . New York Times Agenda-Setting and Support for Bush on Iraq (August 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.12 . Media Agenda-Setting on Iraq (September 2002–November 2003) Figure 2.13 . Continuing Support for War with Iraq (April 2003–June 2004) Figure 2.14 . Public Attention to News on Iraq (September 2002–March 2003) Figure 2.15 . Mass Media Effects on Public Opinion of War (January 2003) Figure 2.16 . Mass Media Effects on Public Opinion of War (February–March 2003) Figure 3.1 . General Skepticism of the Iraq War (March 2003–March 2010) Figure 3.2 . Substantive Opposition to War (March 2003–July 2007) Figure 3.3 . Continued Opposition to War (2006–2013) Figure 3.4 . Coverage of Iraq Violence (June 2003–June 2007) Figure 3.5 . Cable Coverage of Iraq Violence (June 2003–June 2007) Figure 3.6 . Public Attention to Iraq (December 2003–April 2008) Figure 3.7 . Agenda-Setting Media and Opposition to War (June 2003–June 2007) Figure 3.8 . Media Coverage and Monthly U.S. Casualties (June 2003–March 2007) Figure 3.9 . Presidential vs. Democratic Political Actors in Iraq Reporting (December 2003–April 2008) Figure 3.10 . The Bush Administration’s Changing Rhetoric on Iraq (May 2003–May 2008) Figure 3.11 . Media Attention and the Capture of Saddam Hussein (December 2003) Figure 3.12 . WMD Fiasco and Mediated Opposition to War (February 2004) Figure 3.13 . Abu Ghraib and Public Hostility to War (April 2004) Figure 3.14 . Elections, Human Rights, and Growing Violence in Iraq (February–December 2005) Figure 3.15 . Media Consumption and Knowledge of U.S. Casualties (June 2005–April 2006) Figure 3.16 . Military Casualties and Opposition to War (June 2005) Figure 3.17 . Zarqawi’s Death and Support for War (June 2006) Figure 3.18 . Mass Media and Support for the Surge (January 2007 and March 2007) Figure 3.19 . Support for the Surge and Occupation (September 2007 and June 2008) Figure 3.20 . Declining Overlap between Assessments of Progress and Opposition to War (June 2003–June 2008) Figure 4.1 . Public Opinion on Iran (February 2006–December 2012) Figure 4.2 . Public Attention to Iranian Nuclear Issues (March 2006–March 2012) Figure 4.3 . Mass Media and Public Opinion on Iran (October 2009) Figure 4.4 . Experimental Framing Effects for Public Perceptions of Iran and Nuclear Proliferation Figure 5.1 . Mediated Orientalism (July 2007) Figure 5.2 . Partisanship and Orientalism (July 2007) Figure 5.3 . Ideology and Orientalism (July 2007) Figure 5.4 Attentiveness to, Knowledge of, and Support for Egyptian Protests (February 2011) Figure 5.5 . Public Opinion on Egypt and the Democratic Significance of the Uprising (February 2011) Figure 5.6 . Public Opinion on the Libyan Conflict (March–August 2011) Figure 5.7 . Attentiveness to, and Support for, U.S. Intervention in Libya (March 2011) Figure 5.8 . Experimental Evidence for Media Effects on Libya Intervention (2012) Figure 6.1 . Opposition to Obama on Benghazi (September–October 2012) Figure 6.2 . Attention to Reporting of Specifics on Benghazi and Opinions of Obama (October 2012) Figure 6.3 . No Control on Benghazi (September 2012–May 2013) Figure 6.4 . Mediated Support for Syria Intervention (March 2012) Figure 6.5 . Public Attention to Syria (March 2012–September 2013) Figure 6.6 . Public Anxiety over Military Action (September 2013) Figure 6.7 . Sustained Opposition to Intervention (December 2012–September 2013) Figure 6.8 . Mediated Opposition to Syria Strikes (September 2013) Figure A.1 . The Growth of Fear: Reporting on Iraq (April 1–September 15, 2014) Figure A.2 . Controlling the Iraq Narrative (August 1–September 15, 2014) Figure A.3 . Mediated Support for Renewed War in Iraq (September 2014)
Tables Table 1.1 . Coverage of Major Actors in Afghanistan during the Escalation (November 15–December 31, 2009) Table 3.1 . Major Events in Iraq and Their Influence on Public Support for War Table 3.2 . Determinants of War Attitudes (June 2005–April 2006) Table 3.3 . Moral and Strategic Factors (March 2006–December 2011) Table 3.4 . Associations between Newspapers and Their Coverage of Iraq Violence (2003–2007) Table 4.1 . Reporting of Iran’s Nuclear Program: Military vs. Peaceful Intent (April–September 2009) Table 4.2 . Reporting of Major Actors in U.S. Conflict with Iran (April–September 2009) Table 5.1 . World Opinion on U.S. Leaders from Bush to Obama (2008–2011) Table 5.2 . Reporting on the Egyptian Revolution (February 1–February 28, 2011) Table 5.3 . Reporting on the Libyan Uprising (February 15–April 30, 2011) Table 5.4 . Salience of Conflicts in Egypt, Libya, and Bahrain and Discourse on Democracy and Human Rights Table 6.1 . Controlling the Narrative on Benghazi Table 6.2 . Political Actors in the Syrian Civil War (March 2012–June 2013) Table 6.3 . Competing Themes in Syria Reporting (August 21–September 21, 2013)
Acknowledgments
This book represents the culmination of a research agenda I have been engaged in for a decade. I wish to thank many people for nurturing my intellectual development during this journey. First, I want to thank my wife Mary and son Frankie for their patience in enduring the long nights and weekends that went into this project. Their love and company has kept me going all these years, and I love you both more than anything. Other family I would like to thank for their support includes Sam, Alissa, Marty, Jon, Kristina, Mom, Dad, Ava, Allie, Caden, and Mike Grudek. <