ABSTRACT
The communication and information revolutions of the twentieth century have fundamentally and irreversibly changed the conduct of diplomacy, including, in particular, the making of policy in defence and foreign affairs. Scholars and diplomats agree that exposing diplomacy to the media and public opinion plus the emergence of global television have challenged policy-makers and negotiators by creating a 'new diplomacy' that operates under new rules and techniques. The Cable News Network (CNN) -effect theory claims that at least in crisis situations global television has become the dominating actor in the conduct of foreign policy and diplomacy, replacing elected and appointed policy-makers. The media, particularly global television, are increasingly becoming a source of rapid real-time information for policy-makers; have accelerated the pace of diplomatic communication; and focused world attention on crises in places such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia and Kosovo. Global television also provides a stage for new actors in international politics, primarily non-state actors like the proliferating non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
