Soft news goes to war : public opinion and American foreign policy in the new media age / Matthew A. Baum.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Baum, Matthew A., 1965-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Magazine format television programs--United States.

Magazine format television programs.

Television broadcasting of news--United States.

Television broadcasting of news.

United States--Foreign relations--Public opinion.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (368 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Other Title:

Public opinion and American foreign policy in the new media age

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

PREFACE

CHAPTER ONE. War and Entertainment

CHAPTER TWO. Soft News and the Accidentally Attentive Public

CHAPTER THREE. "I Heard It on Oprah"

CHAPTER FOUR. Bringing War to the Masses

CHAPTER FIVE. Tuning Out the World Isn't as Easy as It Used to Be

CHAPTER SIX. Rallying Round the Water Cooler

CHAPTER SEVEN. Soft News and World Views: Foreign Policy Attitudes of the Inattentive Public

CHAPTER EIGHT. Soft News, Public Opinion, and American Foreign Policy: The Good, the Bad, and the Merely Entertaining

NOTES

REFERENCES

INDEX

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

Includes bibliographical references (p. [330]-343) and index.

ISBN:

1-283-29102-9

9786613291028

1-4008-4128-3

OCLC:

757261043