Media and Power, the CNN Effect - Somalia - Essay Example

?Introduction: Media and Power In this modern day and age, the media is our main medium for receiving information and staying on top of current events and top issues happening in the world around us. Media, following the end of the Cold War era, has gained a vast amount of power over the mass public, individual, and in its ability to lead to policy change. What is this power that the media wields and how do media venues utilize this power? This essay will use the prime example of the CNN Effect, in order to prove the intense and intimate relationship between power, soft power in particular, and the media. Following this, the author will offer a current event case study on how the media can be, and to some extent is, utilized to rebuild a post-civil war Sudan. The author will first define power and discuss briefly the two forms of power, hard and soft. Following this, the author will give an overview of the CNN Effect and discuss how the first noted example of the Effect, the Somalia civil war and subsequently, the UN and US joint peacekeeping mission into the failed state, literally changed the face of the media landscape. The CNN Effect turned news in specific, and media, in general, from a delayed broadcast of current events in which the typical viewer was simply an observer; to instantaneous or almost real-time broadcasts, bringing the world into one's own living room, and essentially making the individual feel a part of a greater global community (Hess, S., Kalb, M., Eagleberger, L., Woodruff, J., & Livingstone, S., 2002). Power, by definition, is "the factors that enable one actor to manipulate another actor's behavior against its preferences."(Kegley, C., 2009) Specifically, there are two forms of power that are wielded in order to manipulate the other actor, hard power and soft power. Hard power, simply stated, is the coercion by tangible means of actor B by actor A. Examples of hard power can be seen in military action or coercive diplomacy. Following the end of the Cold War, however, a new form of power became increasingly utilized in order to coerce the other player. Soft power. Due to the changing nature of international politics, intangible forms of power, or 'Soft Power' has gained increasing importance (Nye, J.1990). As media outlets began to relate news in real time, beginning with the US invasion of Iraq in 1991, in which journalists were embedded amongst combat military units, literally bringing the war live to the American public, the armchair, typically uninvolved citizen becomes engaged in issues that previous to this period simply did not exist. The face of the media world was forever changed. The CNN Effect: Somalia The classic example of the power of the media is the CNN Effect. In the early 1990's media became more global and what was known as the CNN effect became a powerful force to be reckoned with. The CNN effect "was first noted when heartbreaking footage of starving children in Somalia pressured U.S. officials to send troops there." (Hess, S., Kalb, M., Eagleberger, L., Woodruff, J., & Livingstone, S., 2002) Media itself became an instigator for the enactment of policy and action. Before the phenomenon of the CNN effect, though many atrocities had occurred worldwide and had been occurring for as long as humans have wielded weapons, the general public scope of awareness did not connect to the distant occurrences, so far from the comfort of their homes. Once the general public began to learn, through the media, about different atrocities, which began with, but was not limited to the civil war taking place in Somalia, pressure was put on the home governments to take action in order to alleviate the situation (in contrast to the clean, almost poetic, surgical airstrikes aired from the invasion of Iraq). In the case of Somalia, the CNN effect not only led to the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, but also to the subsequent early cessation of the mission. After 18 United States soldiers were killed, and the media broadcasted, "horrifying footage of Somalis dragging the body of a dead American soldier through the streets" (Hess, S., Kalb, M., Eagleberger, L., Woodruff, J., & Livingstone, S., 2002), into American living rooms, public American outrage forced the United States to withdraw its troops from the joint United States/ United Nations peacekeeping mission. Until the early 1990's, governments and militaries worldwide did not necessarily need to answer to their constituencies on such a wide scale, due to lack of public exposure of government policies by media outlets. It is doubtful that anyone was prepared for the consequences of the CNN effect, and to those means, there was no proper public information program for which to present to the viewing world in the proper packaging (Allard, K.). The effect of this new globalized media proved both the great power of the media both on an individual and governmental level, as well as gave a new empowerment to the average citizen, who from the armchair of his living room, can experience and even impact the outcome of policy and decision making. The CNN Effect proves the strength of soft power wielded by the media on the global community today. Media outlets can create a lens tainted with any perspective that they choose to show the general public, and along with this, these outlets have the power to decide what is, and what is not, important enough to be newsworthy. Case Study: Sudanese Diaspora and the Media It is without a doubt that Globalization has made the previously impossible, possible (Shandy, D. 2003). One of the most visible proofs of this effect is in the utilization of media to forward one's agenda. This can be used both for positive causes, such as peacemaking and state building, or to create sensations, such as in the use of media by terrorists to gain sympathy and/or publicity for their cause (consider the London Bombings of 2002, 9/11, and the Madrid bombings in enhancing Al Qaida's publicity and their cause, worldwide). It is believed that due to media attention placed upon Sudan, the genocide in Darfur became an international issue, just as it is the lack of media attention that allowed for the genocide to continue, virtually ignored by the international community until 2003. The Diaspora that was created from the civil war has many tools at its disposal, due to globalization in order to wield positive power and lend to state-building in the newly peaceful Sudan. The capacity to use the media the formulation of public opinion can be, and is, used to "promote a culture of peace" in Sudan (Mohamoud, A. A., 2004). Most villages in Sudan posses at least one radio, "the poor man's modern mass communications medium" (Mohamoud, A. A., 2004). The Sudanese Diaspora has taken advantage of this form of mass communication for positive peace building education (clearly, some have also used this medium to instigate violence and continued fighting, as well). Due to the relatively inexpensive costs of radio equipment, some members of the Sudanese Diaspora have brought radio station equipment into Sudan in order to broadcast for peace and cooperation (Mohamoud, A. A., 2004). The Sudanese Diaspora is able to take advantage of the ability to spread information to the Sudanese public, through the media. This, as with the above case of Somalia, shows the power that is intimately related to media. By communicating positive and peaceful ideas to the general public, the Diaspora can help to rebuild the State and help mend the relationship between the North and South. Another example of the power related to media and the globalized world is that members of the Sudanese Diaspora have communicated and shared new skills and democratic ideas through internet forums. These forums have linked "positive political forces both in the homeland and in the Diaspora into organized discussions and action groups." (Mohamoud A.A. 2004) Finally, another important way that the Sudanese Diaspora can utilize the power of the media is within their host state. By taking advantage of the local media, the Diaspora can continue to raise awareness and keep public interest high on the situation in Sudan. This interest can then lead to pressure on the host state governments to enact policies to the creation of positive change and halting violence in the homeland. The power related to the media is only stopped by the human imagination. Conclusion There is no doubt that the correlation between the media and power is extremely high, one can even go so far as to suggest that all media is power. From the two examples given above, the CNN Effect and utilizing the media for state building in Sudan, one can see how wide a spectrum the influence and power of the media can spread. With power comes great responsibility, and though often enough, media outlets are used for negative purposes, the strength of the media to positively impact the world in which we live is extensive. It is this power or media that has enhanced the lives of millions, if not billions, of people around the world by highlighting issues such as poverty, starvation, illness, war, or an innumerable amount of issues. Countries have amended or created policies based upon media coverage and the sensation created by that coverage. Without the power of the media, globalization may never have occurred on such a wide scale and the world would continue to be separated by region and distance on a mental level. The power of media has made the world smaller, more connected and much, much better informed. Bibliography: Kegley, C., 2009 World Politics: Trends and Transformation, 12th ed., Wadsworth, Belmont. Nye, J., 1990, 'Soft power', Foreign Policy, num. 80, pp. 153-171. Hess, S., Kalb, M., Eagleberger, L., Woodruff, J., & Livingstone, S. The CNN Effect"": How 24-Hour News Coverage Affects Government Decisions and Public Opinion. Available from: The Brookings Institute web portal. [23 January 2002] Allard, K., (Year of publication not provided), 'Somalia Operations: Lessons Learned Institute for National Strategic Studies. Shandy, D., 2003, 'Transnational Linkages between Refugees in Africa and in the Diaspora', Forced Migration Review, Number 16, Pp. 7-8. Mohamoud, A.A., 2004, 'Building a Peaceful and Democratic Sudan: Sudanese Diaspora Perspectives'. SAHAN wetenschappelijk onderzoek & adviesbureau, Amsterdam. Mohamoud, A.A., 2004, 'Mobilizing African Diaspora for the Promotion of Peace in Africa', African Diaspora Policy Center. May, 2005. Bibliography Including PAGE NUMBERS for specific references, where applicable: Kegley, C., 2009 World Politics: Trends and Transformation, 12th ed., Wadsworth, Belmont, p.579 Nye, J., 1990, 'Soft power', Foreign Policy, num. 80, pp. 153-171. Hess, S., Kalb, M., Eagleberger, L., Woodruff, J., & Livingstone, S. The CNN Effect"": How 24-Hour News Coverage Affects Government Decisions and Public Opinion. Available from: The Brookings Institute web portal. [23 January 2002] Allard, K., (Year of publication not provided), 'Somalia Operations: Lessons Learned Institute for National Strategic Studies. P.26. Shandy, D., 2003, 'Transnational Linkages between Refugees in Africa and in the Diaspora', Forced Migration Review, Number 16, Pp. 7-8. Mohamoud, A.A., 2004, 'Building a Peaceful and Democratic Sudan: Sudanese Diaspora Perspectives'. SAHAN wetenschappelijk onderzoek & adviesbureau, Amsterdam. Mohamoud, A.A., 2004, 'Mobilizing African Diaspora for the Promotion of Peace in Africa', African Diaspora Policy Center. May, 2005. P.32. Read More

 

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