Tales of Terror: Television News and the Construction of the Terrorist Threat

(Hardback)

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Description

Based on an analysis of more than 200 evening newscasts aired during the first six years of the Reagan administration, this book offers an account of the ways in which the news media escalate public panic about terrorism and encourage support for specific US policy objectives, rather than build sympathy for terrorists. This book explores the similarities between news media and government portrayals of terrorism, combining textual criticism with an interpretation of official US policy statements and argues that government depictions and news presentations of terrorism reproduce an ideology that supports military strength and intervention.

Reviews

.,."makes a substantial and unique contribution in that it adds an in-depth case study to earlier works that framed in more general ways the contruction and utility of the politically loaded analysis of the terrorist threat to U.S. foreign policy. Written for scholars and students of communications, U.S. foreign policy, and public opinion."-Perspectives on Political Science
...makes a substantial and unique contribution in that it adds an in-depth case study to earlier works that framed in more general ways the contruction and utility of the politically loaded analysis of the terrorist threat to U.S. foreign policy. Written for scholars and students of communications, U.S. foreign policy, and public opinion.-Perspectives on Political Science
..."makes a substantial and unique contribution in that it adds an in-depth case study to earlier works that framed in more general ways the contruction and utility of the politically loaded analysis of the terrorist threat to U.S. foreign policy. Written for scholars and students of communications, U.S. foreign policy, and public opinion."-Perspectives on Political Science

Author Bio

BETHAMI A. DOBKIN is Director of Media Studies and Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at the University of San Diego. She has published and spoken on the news media and foreign policy since 1988.