The CNN Effect Revisited

The article looks at how the CCN effect has declined over time from influencing policies and ideas on humanitarianism to war against terror. The liking for this article is because of how it periodically shows the gradual change of the CNN effect due to its support to the policy makers hence has formed a bond to support their decisions. During the cold war, media influence was used in making decisions that were threatening and those of war. A case in point is the Bosnian war of 1992 to 1995. This article highlights how uncertainty in the political world gives power to media influence like the end of the cold war period where the U.S foreign policy was in a dilemma. The CNN effect is seen particularly in the promotion of humanitarian case of the Iraq people that influenced the U.S decision to invade the country citing humanitarian concerns. The article further shows how the humanitarianism is selective in that the Rwandan people were left to fight against themselves that led to the loss of over 1 million people when the U.N troops left.
The 9-11 attack in the U.S killed the CNN effect where its humanitarian influence was underpinned by the Bush administration war on terror. Humanitarianism was second to the war on terror, and this led the U.S to wage war in Afghanistan and Iraq. The events of the 9-11 attack changed the U.S foreign policy completely in that all efforts were put in the containment of the al-Qaeda threats. The role of oppositional media that could influence decisions was significantly undermined.

The excuse to base on humanitarian grounds to wage foreign wars contributed to the decrease of the CNN effect. Americas and British ground for the invasion of Iraq were based on humanitarian grounds yet the war could have been avoided. Management of information by the government also led to the killing of the effect. This has been compounded by forming of an ideological bond between the media and policy makers hence lack the influence to major policy decisions.