Researching US Media–State Relations and Twenty-First Century Wars 1

For those of us seeking to understand the relationship between the state and media during wartime, the Iraq war is potentially a unique case. The unprecedented scale of domestic and international public opposition, the failure to obtain unequivocal UN authorization and the distinctive justifications used to “sell” the war, including the alleged WMD threat and humanitarian justifications related to Saddam Hussein’s record of tyranny, created an ambiguous and controversial political environment. In addition, the presence of 24-hour news, the Internet and satellite broadcasting appeared to destabilize wartime media–state relations. An important question raised for those who have attempted to assess the relative balance of power between the US media and the state during wartime is whether we have witnessed an empowered wartime media or, conversely, continued domination of the news agenda by official viewpoints.