Research Catalog

Unreliable watchdog : the news media and U.S. foreign policy

Title: Unreliable watchdog : the news media and U.S. foreign policy / Ted Galen Carpenter.
Author: Carpenter, Ted Galen
Publication: Washington, DC : Cato Institute, [2022]

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request for On-site Use Request Scan Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Schwarzman Building to submit a request in person.	Text	Use in library	JFE 23-1884	Schwarzman Building - Main Reading Room 315

Details

Description

527 pages; 24 cm

Summary

"Freedom of press is a cornerstone of our democratic political system. But reporters, pundits, and editors face intense pressure to serve as propagandists rather than journalists in their coverage of U.S. foreign policy. Too many members of the news media seem unable to make that distinction and play their proper role as watchdogs for the American people regarding possible government incompetence or misconduct. Since World War II, America has become a garrison state always prepared for armed conflict and the conflating of journalism and propaganda has grown worse-even in situations that do not involve actual combat for the United States. That behavior increasingly constrains and distorts the public's consideration of Washington's role in the world. In Unreliable Watchdog, Ted Galen Carpenter focuses on the nature and extent of the American news media's willingness to accept official accounts and policy justifications, too often throwing skepticism aside. He takes readers through an examination of the media's performance with respect to the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the conflicts in the Balkans, the prelude to the Iraq War, the civil wars in Libya and Syria, and Washington's post-Cold War relations with both Russia and China. The analysis explores why most journalists-as well as social media platforms-seem willing to collaborate with government officials in pushing an activist foreign policy, even when tactics or results have been questionable, disappointing, or even disastrous. Unreliable Watchdog jump-starts a badly needed conversation about how the press must improve its coverage of foreign policy and national security issues if it is to serve its proper role for the American people"--

Subject

Genre/Form

History.

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Introduction: an ambiguous press legacy on foreign policy -- A century of hawkish sentiments -- A (belated) Vietnam wakeup call and its aftermath -- New restraints and enticements: Grenada, the Gulf War, and Somalia -- Advocacy journalism and propaganda: press coverage of the Balkan Wars -- Recirculating government disinformation on Iraq -- Cheerleading for humanitarian crusades: Libya and Syria -- Toxic bias pollutes Russia coverage -- Volatile media perspectives regarding China -- Groupthink and club membership -- Harassing journalistic dissenters -- The press as a subsidiary of the national security state -- A changing media landscape: the growth of social media -- Conclusion: the media's obligation to serve as a foreign policy watchdog.

Call Number

JFE 23-1884

ISBN

9781952223334
1952223334
9781952223341 (canceled/invalid)

LCCN

2022000815

OCLC

1264140283

Author

Carpenter, Ted Galen, author.

Title

Unreliable watchdog : the news media and U.S. foreign policy / Ted Galen Carpenter.

Publisher

Washington, DC : Cato Institute, [2022]

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chronological Term

1900-2099

Other Form:

Online version: Carpenter, Ted Galen. Unreliable watchdog Washington : Cato Institute, [2022] 9781952223341 (DLC) 2022000816

Research Call Number

JFE 23-1884

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