America in the French press: Images of the United States in two French daily newspapers, March-May 1954

This dissertation studies the portrayal of the United States in two French newspapers. The research concentrates on the battle of Dien Bien Phu and the intense diplomatic maneuvering before the opening of the Geneva Conference, from March to May, 1954. Two prestige Parisian newspapers have been selected: Le Monde, a center-left daily defending the cause of neutralism, and Le Figaro, a centre-right daily advocating the Atlantic Alliance. The first chapter examines the historical context of the battle, its stakes, and the diplomatic maneuvering of the American and French governments. Chapter two deals with the state of the French press in 1954. Chapter three reviews the literature dealing the press's representation of foreign countries, taking the image of America in the French press as a case study. In chapter four, all of the articles covering the United States in Le Monde between March and May 1954 are analyzed to determine what stereotypes were used in presenting the United States and its policies to the readers. Chapter five follows the same format with Le Figaro. Chapter six summarizes the stereotypes used by both newspapers. In general, Le Monde offered an unfavorable image of the United States and inversely, Le Figaro gave a favorable image. The conclusion examines the stereotypes common to both dailies and establishes the overall image of the United States in the French press at the time. Finally, conclusions are drawn as to what such an image reveals about the way the French viewed themselves and their own country during the Cold War era.