COMMUNICATING WAR: U.S. LEADERSHIP AND THE ART OF POLITICAL MEDIA FRAMING

Abstract

How do leaders present the case of aggressive foreign policies to the public? This thesis argues that political leaders change their tune in regards to war doctrines depending on the media outlet. For conservative outlets, they tend to focus on nationalism and protecting the security of its borders. For Liberal media outlets they tend to focus more heavily on humanitarian issues and diplomacy. As evidence, I present a series of examples, stemming from the 2003 invasion of Afghanistan. This research is relevant because partisan media outlets are increasingly shaping the way leaders interact with the public, which in turn is pivotal in democratic elections.