Keywords
news, media, press, public opinion, presidential approval, Vietnam War, Gulf War
Abstract
A standing phenomenon exists in the fields of both political science and communication studies regarding the impact that the news media have on public opinion. This study recognizes the average American citizens' reliance on the press to gain information about international conflicts. Hence, it is theorized that news reports on a political occurrence could very well influence the mass-level opinion of an event such that positive news stories generate positive public opinion, and vice versa. Since foreign crises define a presidency in the public's minds, presidential approval ratings determine the degree to which the news media manipulate public opinion. Specifically, news media coverage of two international conflicts, the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, are analyzed in light of their effect on American citizens' public opinion of Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and George H. W. Bush, respectively.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2009
Advisor
Fine, Terri
Degree
Master of Arts (M.A.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Political Science
Degree Program
Political Science
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0002701
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0002701
Language
English
Release Date
September 2009
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Masters Thesis (Open Access)
STARS Citation
McCullough, Kristen, "The News Media And Public Opinion: The Press Coverage Of U.S. International Conflicts And Its Effect On Presidental Approval" (2009). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4115.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4115