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OCT 3-4, 1993. Battle of Mogadishu, fought by US, UN (UNOSOMII) and Somali loyal to Mohamed Farrah Aidid. Somali dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was overthrown JAN 1991, shortly after the revolution, the winning coalition divided into two groups, one led by Ali Mahdi and the other by Aidid. who would become Somalia’s self-declared president until 1996 (dead).

US forces attempted to seize 2 of Aidid’s lieutenants during a meeting. After the attack, Somali militia and armed civilian forces shot down 2 American UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The raid that began as a 1-hour operation turned into an overnight battle in Mogadishu, resulting in many deaths. Reports vary from 18-19 US soldiers, 1-24 Pakistanis, 500‒3,000 Somalis.

CNN EFFECT: was viewed as being strongly influential in bringing images to the immediate forefront of US political consciousness.

Major world events and crises for example, Tiananmen Square protests, have all altered people’s views and reactions, at the same time generated various political responses, whether it be humanitarian, or military from states and leaders across the World

This type of reporting began with the Gulf War in early 90s: instantaneous transmission of the war by US cable TV channels transmitting real-time images never seen before, the spectacle of real time war images becomes more relevant than the war itself.

The tsunami caused "a media frenzy", and Darfur was forgotten: “Darfur instantly vanished from the TV screens and the pages of newspapers. The media could handle only one emotion-laden story at a time, not two, and the tsunami was much more politically correct than Darfur” (Prunier, 2005, p. 128).

Origins of the term

Al Jazeera

  • William Lafi Youmans attributes the first use to Philip Seib, author of The Al Jazeera Effect: How the New Global Media Are Reshaping World Politics (2008).
  • Simon Henderson attributes it to "diplomats in the region" as early as 2000. As used by Henderson, it originally referred to Arab Middle East governments losing their monopoly on information because of the popularity to the Al Jazeera satellite television media network, and some scholars still often use it in such a limited context.
  • created in 1996 (Emir of Qatar’s money + BBC Arabic service);
  • response to the control of media in Arab League countries;
  • expand political participation and press freedom;
  • counter the dominant Western viewpoint of Arabs and Arabic culture (Arabs depended on BBC and CNN international for indep. news).

Concept

Consequences

  • New media weaken the monopoly of states on information, as even extensive internet censorship in countries such as China is not wholly effective.
  • Seib: New media, while not beyond being abused, are contributing to democratisation.
  • William Lafi Youmans notes that Seib's prediction that the Al Jazeera effect will lead to changes in the politics of the Middle East was realized in the early 2010s during the Arab Spring.

Thomas L. McPhail: changes in all of the Arab media.

Philip Seib: includes other, internet-powered new media; Al Jazeera ended flow of information following "from the West to the rest".

Differences (Seib):

  • CNN effect used in the context of mainstream, traditional media networks (i.e. CNN), the Al Jazeera effect generalizes this to newer media (i.e. citizen journalist blogs, internet radio, and satellite broadcasting);
  • CNN effect reinforces mainstream power, new media strengthen the identity of and give voice to previously marginalized groups (i.e. Kurdish people).

It follows a similar pattern to the CNN effect:

  • includes the accelerant effect,
  • impiedment effect, and
  • agenda-setting effect.

Seib noted that the Al Jazeera effect can be seen as parallel to the CNN effect, which states that coverage of international events can force otherwise uninvolved governments to take action.

The Al Jazeera effect

Impact of new media and media sources on global politics, reducing the government and mainstream media monopoly on information and empowering groups which previously lacked a global voice. The primary example: Al Jazeera Media Network's impact

From 90s to today chaos

Today?

Robinson: In the 1990s: ability for media to shape policy responses and high-level decision making during international crises. Since 9-11: Influence continues (aid delivery), role of media is manufacturing consent for policies being enacted as part of the ‘war on terror’.

Definition

The 'CNN effect' refers to the effect that a 24-hour news media cycle has on politics and government during political conflict or a crisis.

THE END!

Humanitarian

'Forgotten' emergencies

Its effect on decisions made during disasters is noteworthy:

  • images are broadcast worldwide during disasters,
  • these images may convince the public to donate money or pressure governments for immediate action.

The 'CNN effect' may have played a role in increasing aid following the Asian tsunami (2004), the Kashmir earthquake (2005), Hurricane Katrina (2005), and the Sichuan earthquake in China (2008).

Ethiopia

Democratic Republic of Congo

Afghanistan

Kenya

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Chad

Yemen

Niger

Myanmar

Colombia

Eritrea

Philippines

Haiti

Guinea

Effects: Following the Asian tsunami, the media 'blitz' that followed this disaster helped prompt an unprecedented outpouring of donations. 'By February 2005, the international community had donated $500 per person affected by the tsunami, compared to just 50 cents for each person affected by Uganda’s 18-year war.' (http://www.globalissues.org/article/568/media-and-natural-disasters) An analysis of 200 English-language newspapers showed the Asian tsunami generated more column inches in 6 weeks than the world’s top 10 'forgotten' emergencies combined over the previous year.

Tsunami 2004

Awareness and scrutiny

Reasons

The disparity between funding for the tsunami and for other current emergencies was paralleled by a disparity in media coverage. Reasons (HPN):

1. dramatic images of devastation,

2. the immediate availability of images,

3. timing: the tsunami struck at Christmas,

4. easy and rapid access by journalists to most affected areas,

5. the novelty of the disaster (destructive tsunamis are rarer than droughts, floods and conflict),

6. the simplicity of the cause of the disaster,

7. the tsunami struck many areas familiar to Westerners,

8. the death of several thousand people from Western countries.

By focusing instantaneous and ongoing media coverage on a particular event, the news cycle demands political attention, as governing politicians attempt to demonstrate that they are 'on top of' current issues. The effect has led to immediate public awareness and scrutiny of strategic decisions and military operations as they unfold.

No analysis

Impediment

Not always the same

Baker: 'The one thing it does, is to drive policymakers to have a policy position. I would have to articulate it very quickly. You are in real-time mode. You don't have time to reflect.' Keating, Josua (2013). Slate.

Tutwiler: 'Time for reaction is compressed. Analysis and intelligence gathering is out.' Marsh, Kevin (2017). Strategic Communication.

CNN Effect as an impediment to the achievement of desired policy goals

Two types :

1. Emotional inhibitor: Rooted in the inhibiting effects of emotional coverage and operates through the agency of public opinion.

2. Rooted in the potential for global, real-time media to compromise operational security needed with some types of military operations.

In Clarifying the CNN Effect, Livingston (1997) identifies three distinct aspects (alternative or simultaneous):

(1) an accelerant to policy decision-making

(2) a policy agenda-setting agent,

(3) an impediment to the achievement of desired policy goals.

Battle of Mogadishu

How?

Tiananmen Square protests,

1989

Accelerant

Agenda-setting

'Saturation coverage' of events like

1. the Tiananmen Square protests - 1989,

2. the fall of Communism in eastern Europe - 1989,

3. the first Gulf War 1990-91,

4. the Battle of Mogadishu - 1993.

Bringing these images to the forefront of US political consciousness and beyond.

TV determines what is a crisis (only what is compelling). Once the US foreign policy priorities align themselves with media coverage, the other two manifestations of the CNN effect may come into play. Decision-making may be accelerated and rash. Events may cascade out of control, leading to confrontations for which the public and policymakers themselves are psychologically unprepared.

But overall, the lack of media coverage of humanitarian emergencies is striking.

Media shortens decision-making response time. Drives politicians to have an instant position: no time for analysis. During time of war, live, global television offers potential security-intelligence risks. Competition: intelligence orgs and media orgs. But media may also be a force multiplier, method of sending signals ('Television diplomacy'). Evident in most foreign policy issues to receive media attention.

The scrutiny can also complicate sensitive diplomatic relationships between states or force an official reaction from governments that would otherwise prefer to minimise political risk by remaining noncommittal. (Al Jazzera Effect) The spread of global media through the internet and international 24-hour news thus accelerates the policy-making process, requiring a faster tempo of decision to forestall the appearance of a leadership vacuum.

Before: Visual collective memory of the fall of Berlin Wall, 1989

http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2014/11/06/natpkg-berlin-wall-cnn-coverage.cnn/video/playlists/cnn-1980s-video-vault/

1st Gulf War 1990-91

Fourth estate, multiplied

While the free press has always had an influence on policy-making in democracies, proponents of the CNN effect argue that the extent, depth, and speed of the 'new' global media have created a new species of effects qualitatively different from those that preceded them.

The CNN effect

real time modern media

(not exclusive to CNN or even 24-hour news cycle broadcast cable news)

1980

popular

24-hour

international

television news

foreign policy

The CNN Effect, and other effects

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