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called âCNN effectâ. CNN effect refers to âthe belief that the news media, particularly
CNN, directly inflame public opinion, which subsequently forces government to take
hasty action.â
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Generally speaking, television news is an inherently ideological medium due
to its greater need for simplified thematic unity. When it comes to war, TV news
programs play a critical role in motivating public support in pursuit of maximization
of national power.
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TV shows eye-catching war clips that inspire patriotism and
persuade people to sacrifice anything that can be detrimental to the national interest.
The Vietnam War that was suspended halfway due to the mediaâs antagonism suggests
the importance of the mediaâs role in war and foreign policy. Except for the Vietnam
War, American TV news has performed supportive function that helped shape the
world-view of Americans in accordance with the U.S. governmentâs propaganda
strategy.
The War in Iraq was not exceptional. CNN was subject to the terrorism
consensus as far as pre-Iraq War coverage was concerned. In other words, CNNâs pre-
war coverage was definitely dominated by the âTerrorism Frame,â which was
explicated above. The fact that the media framed the reality through the âterrorism
consensusâ implicates that those who do not accept the American consensus in the so-
called âWar on Terrorismâ era are likely to experience ideological conflict in their mind
when watching it.
According to the current analysis, CNN exhibited three reporting patterns that
are consistent with the terrorism consensus. First, CNN strayed from the direct
question whether Iraq had connection to terrorist groups. It was simply not a matter of
concern for CNN whether the allegations that supported the linkage were true or not.