Page 194 - An Introduction to Political Communication Fifth Edition

Intro to Politics Communication (5th edn)-p.qxp 9/2/11 10:55 Page 173

9

POLITICAL COMMUNICATION IN
A GLOBALISED WORLD

This chapter describes the application of political communication
techniques in a variety of conflicts, including:

• The Cold War
• The Vietnam war
• The Falklands war
• The Gulf war of 1991
• The ethnic conflicts in former Yugoslavia
• The invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11.

Thus far we have been concerned with the role of communication and mass
media in the domestic political debates of a society. The political process,
however, in the era of globalisation, also has an international dimension.
Nation-states have interests vis-à-vis each other, which frequently bring them
into economic, diplomatic or military conflict. In pursuing such conflicts
governments use not only the conventional instruments of power (economic
pressure and military force) but public opinion, both at home and abroad.
Before the era of mass communication, relations between states were
carried on largely behind closed doors, with heavy reliance on secret diplo-
macy and subterfuge. Educated elites could read about them in their news-
papers, but the mass of the people remained in relative ignorance of their
governments’ activities in this sphere. Secrecy and covert manoeuvring are
still extensively used, of course, but international relations can no longer be
conducted without consideration being given to public opinion. As the mass
media have expanded, and the time lag between event and reportage of it has
inexorably shortened, so the foreign policies of states are pursued in the full
glare of publicity. Indeed, governments and other political actors use the
media to influence public opinion on foreign policy in their favour. In inter-
national politics, as in domestic, image has come to rival substance in the
calculations of politicians and their advisers. The principles of news and

173