ABSTRACT
The press's treatment of the administration's handling of 1980s crises grew increasingly unsympathetic. The tone of a great deal of news reporting and commentary in 1980 was hostile to the Jimmy Carter administration. In early 1980 President Carter stepped up efforts to display a new foreign policy approach. On January 20 Carter appeared on Sunday television's "Meet the Press" to affirm United States resolve to deal with the Iran and Afghanistan crises. Joseph Kraft argued that Carter's wisest alternative to dealing with the "mess" in world affairs was to eliminate the administration's foreign policy team. While Iran and Afghanistan dominated the discussion of Carter's foreign policy in 1980 journalists gave considerable attention to other foreign affairs issues. In 1980 journalists continued to criticize Carter's efforts at building public and congressional support for administration programs. Journalists also faulted Carter's efforts at implementing the administration's policies.
