Media and the U.S. Foreign Policy: The CNN Chilling Effect Your Name here POLS 4460: Social Science Dr. Gabardi & Idaho State University March 7, 2015 An axiom of contemporary discourse on international communication is that global-reach media organizations produced images of countries inform, shape, and contribute to people`s understanding- or misunderstanding -of these countries. Consider this image: U.S. military personnel off-loading combat vehicles at a foreign seaport fill the TV screen as the scrolling marquee reads: “CNN DEPLOYS U.S. TROOPS TO MIDDLE EAST. TOTAL CASUALTIES EXCEED 153!” Consider how Americans would react if they discovered that the Cable News Network (CNN), or Fox News, or News Corporation, or ABC, or NBC News to name just a few media organizations, were responsible for the deployment and subsequent deaths of American soldiers in foreign lands. The words “angry” and “mob” come to mind. If proponents of the CNN Chilling Effect theory are right and mass media actually do influence foreign policy decisions, then media corporations are, to some extent, liable for such U.S. foreign policy actions. Although at first glance, one might think this suggestion of intentional CNN persuasion and unrestricted political power both absurd and conspiratorial, this essay discusses several well-documented, historical incidents to determine if there is a connection between CNN media coverage and subsequent U.S. fo...