Analysis of the Liberal/Negative Bias in Network News Coverage of the 1989-1990 Panama Invasion (Operation Just Cause).

摘要

As long as there have been military forces and media there has been tension and conflict between the two organizations. For the contemporary American military and media these tensions are intensified by lingering resentments of the media coverage of the Vietnam War and the exclusion of the media during the Grenada invasion. This study is a content analysis of the three major television networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) coverage of the Panama invasion from start to finish. The research question asked, Did network television news coverage of the 1989-90 Panama Invasion (Operation JUST CAUSE) have a liberal/negative bias. The study instrument for this content analysis was a scaled down replication of Hallin's (1984) code book from his content analysis of television coverage of the Vietnam War. Seven of the variables used in this study address themes: Is there video showing Americans helping Panamanians; Are casualties and/or grieving survivors shown on video; Who is responsibility for the casualties attributed to; How are military results and the hopes for Noriega's capture/surrender presented. Three additional variables address policy issues: What is the content of statements on the invasion policy; How is the invasion policy interpreted; Are statements about the policy balanced by the opposite view. The findings of the study did not find support for the idea of a liberal/negative bias in network news coverage.