The Government Manipulation Of The American Media After 911 Incident

This thesis is to explore how the American government managed to strengthenthe manipulation of the media after the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001,known as 911 incident. The American media were cheerleading the two wars afterthe terrorist attack. The comments made by the hosts and journalists were largely thesame opinions President Bush had given in his speeches. The media's blindpatriotism reached its peak on Jessica Lynch's story. The media rushed to report thegood news from the Pentagon without checking the reliability, and made it into aheroic Hollywood movie. It might be the most embarrassing disappointment on theindependence of the American media as the truth revealed.This thesis first reviews the history of the relations between the media and thegovernment. In the U.S., there have been the constant struggles between the mediaand the government. After long years of effort the media earn the legal protectionfrom the Constitution. The American media are aware of the direct control from thegovernment, such as the censorship or the prior restraint. Thus it's hard for thegovernment to suppress the voice of the media. Nevertheless, the government alteredthe methods of manipulation. This thesis will then analyze the methods ofmanipulation. Through public relations efforts, the government tries to make themedia their ally. By controlling the news resources, the government makes the mediatheir propaganda tool. After 911 incident, the Bush administration successfullyconstructed the binary opposition, which deprived the media of the neutral position.At the same time, fear was produced and spread though the media, which led the nation into anger, and the support for war. By reading the speeches, reports andpictures as text, this thesis will analyze the binary opposition and fear. The twoenhance each other, making the manipulation of the media easier for the government.Neither of the two manipulating methods can be regulated by the law. Binaryopposition and fear have been part of American culture. Unconsciously the media letthemselves lead by the government and become the propaganda tool of thegovernment. The author of this thesis suggests that the media need to be critical ofthe news resources provided by the government, and they need to view the worldbeyond the binary opposition and fear. Only then would the media maintainindependence from the government in peacetime and wartime.