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DEMONSTRATING THE CNN EFFECT
Finally, there is one more important issue that must be addressed in
validating the CNN effect relating to whether policy change, in cases
where the criteria for the CNN effect are met, occurs due to the media
77
coverage of the event or the event itself.
To argue a CNN effect, it
is important to show that the event itself was not the basis for policy
change, but rather that the media coverage of the event was instru-
mental to the outcome. One way to argue the salience of media cov-
erage is to show that the event itself was not significant but was made
so by media coverage. In the context of a third-party military inter-
vention, for example, if it can be shown that a particular incident was
relatively insignificant in the larger scheme of suffering, but that
media focus on that event made it stand out as a focus of policy
debate, then it can be argued that it was the media’s role, not the
event itself, that was key in bringing about a policy change. When
applying the model to the case study in the second section of this
book, such an analysis will be incorporated to further validate or
invalidate the CNN effect.
The CNN Effect and Macro Influences
Although the CNN effect, based on this book’s model, occurs if the
criteria outlined above are met, such an outcome is not purely instru-
mental and does not operate in a vacuum. Rather, it is bound by the
political culture, context, and cost that heavily influence the possibil-
ity of its emergence. These political factors all relate to and influence
each other and determine the degree of political commitment a gov-
ernment has to the status quo policy. The following section reviews
these factors:
Political Culture
Political culture is defined as the collective historical experience of a
political community and is generally associated with a set of com-
monly held traditions, practices, and beliefs within the community. 78
Political culture informs first principles and common positions on
issues of power distribution and their interpretation or framing. For
example, it may be claimed that democracy is an integral part of
America’s political culture. Although core beliefs and principles
operate at a deeper level of political culture and are generally stable,
their application in international politics can be fluid and subject to
change, based on the experience of a political community in relation
to different communities and circumstances. Political culture can
either change gradually through incremental events and the actions of