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THE CNN EFFECT IN ACTION
pressure not available in past wars. As Baker himself remarked, “Your
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reaction time is in minutes and hours, not days.”
The use of such diplomacy grew throughout the 1990s, becoming
increasingly professional and elaborate, often employing press offices
that focused on short-term press coverage and its management or
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Even the reclusive leadership of Afghanistan’s Taliban, who
spin.
banned television during their rule, installed satellite dishes to moni-
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tor how they were portrayed by the outside world. They also actively
participated in the media game, updating the world and adversaries of
their positions through Pakistan-based representatives in the months
preceding their demise. Their adoption of such techniques was so
effective, in fact, that Western powers reacted by creating Coalition
Information Centers (CICs) that coordinated responses in
Washington, London, and Islamabad, in order to rebut Taliban
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statements and claims.
Furthermore, media channels can facilitate communication with
adversaries when traditional means are blocked. In times of war, diplo-
matic channels are often severed as relations collapse. Diplomacy
through the media allows for a resumption of communication as cir-
cumstances on the ground shift and interests change. It can also be
used on occasion to communicate with third parties not directly
involved in the conflict. 50
Diplomacy through instantaneous media, of course, does not elim-
inate traditional diplomacy. It only adds a subsidiary channel that can
be more useful at times. When diplomacy involves negotiating and
compromising, traditional diplomatic channels that are secure and
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private are still the norm. This is often the case in negotiating terms
to end wars, as diplomacy through the media may preempt compromise
that might be seen as a sign of weakness by domestic audiences.
Regarding the CNN and other media effects outlined in the
previous chapter, two effects are relevant in relation to diplomacy. The
first of these is the accelerant CNN effect that involves new pressures
on diplomats to work at a faster pace to avoid seeming aloof and
irresponsible to their public audiences. 52 To keep up with the hastier
requirements of policymakers, diplomats may feel rushed to provide
input, ignoring the time-tested tools of analysis and reflection. Worse,
policymakers forced to make decisions may on occasion altogether
jettison diplomats as a source of information to meet the deadlines
of 24-hour news. It is important to note that the accelerant effect
largely impacts the processes of diplomatic activity and, as a result,
policymaking. This is a notable difference from other CNN effects
that may influence the substance of foreign policy.