The institution of the media is closely connected to the shaping and manipulating of public opinion. The news media act as both a government watchdog and a source of information and analysis. They often set the stage for the mass public and public officials through interviews, stories, and special reports. Since the Vietnam War, the media have changed the way in which news about foreign policy gets to the public. Major shifts occurred from print news to video and electronic news sources, including the rise of the blogosphere and online news sources. “Soft news” television shows marketed to viewers seeking entertainment and not hard news programming, conveying foreign policy events more relatable and casting issues in a moralistic framework. Additionally, foreign policy have permeated fiction movies and television, familiarizing the public with more policy issues and, in some cases, making them more receptive to new information and political causes.

News coverage of foreign policy is scattered, erratic, and often reactive. While television and cable news provide larger access and coverage, they also reduce the depth of coverage. Similarly, the media can now broadcast live from foreign soil or in the midst of a military conflict in the form of parachute journalism, but then leave immediately following the broadcast. Paradoxically, this superficiality and short attention span tends to hobble rather than enhance the coherent conduct of U.S. foreign policy, complicating further the media’s role in the U.S. foreign policy process.

Finally, the news media’s role in a democracy is often in conflict with the marketplace, as large media organizations and conglomerates are geared toward profits and ratings. These mixed goals present a number of obstacles and problems. Coverage of military conflicts, for instance, overshadows stories of other global policy issues, such as the environment and energy. Local stories often overshadow long-term problems overseas. The Internet and global news organizations are also primary and growing means for the public to receive information and voice opinions about foreign policy, bringing forth concerns about cyberterrorism and other disconnects. Nonetheless, despite the foregoing concerns, the news media remain yet another powerful “outside-in” influence on the U.S. foreign policy process.