Media as a National Citizen

April 7, 2008: Christians in support of Israel hold US and Israeli flags as they march in Jerusalem. US Evangelist John Hagee brought hundreds of backers on a solidarity trip to Israel. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Welcome!

This first issue of Volume 2 of Communication and International Relations represents the work of a new group of writers: the students of COM321 and POL330 Spring 2008. In this issue we explore one of the most important roles of the media in the context of international affairs: that of a national citizen. You will find that the articles in this issue reveal our general frustration at how often the media act as a facilitator and cheerleader of government goals instead of a watchdog of government performance. We also comment on the role of media as an educator - teaching us, or not, about the world. We hope you enjoy our work.

Did you know...

Iraq War Coverage Declining
By Natida Sribhibhadh

According to the Project for Excellence in Journalism, coverage of the Iraq War substantially declined since President Bush announced the troop surge in January 2007. Between January and March 2008, coverage of the war accounted for only 4 percent of the media newshole in comparison to 2007’s 23 percent. The cause? With no end to the war in sight and bigger issues such as economic problems looming, media coverage is focused on the presidential campaign.