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THE CNN EFFECT AND WAR
were media effects not related to the CNN effect. This section
reintroduces these media effects in order to assess how they relate to
two of the distinctions within foreign policy analysis outlined in the
previous section. In each case, it will be determined if the media effect
is primarily relevant to policy formulation, implementation, or both,
and whether it relates to the policy process, substance or both.
The accelerant effect, as previously outlined, describes the new pres-
sures diplomats and policymakers face as they are forced to formulate
policy faster under the demands of the 24-hour news cycle. As such, it
relates largely to the process and formulation of foreign policy. Of
course, policy substance might also be influenced indirectly by the need
to generate policy faster, making it more likely for misunderstandings
and errors to form part of the policy. Additionally, given the faster, more
pressurized nature of this effect, it is likely that the distinctions between
formulation and implementation will increasingly become blurred.
The agenda-setting effect prioritizes certain policy issues over oth-
ers, as dictated by the importance bequeathed on topics by media cov-
erage. As such, it relates primarily to policy formulation, and to a
lesser degree to implementation. In terms of formulation, the con-
stantly changing topics covered by the media will require ongoing
policymaking. Regarding implementation, shifting prioritization on
issues will invariably lead to adjustments in the implementation of
existing policies that may be demoted or halted altogether if newer
priorities consume limited foreign policy resources. The agenda-
setting effect largely impacts the process of foreign policy–making, by
circumventing many traditional elements in the policymaking process
and replacing them with the media. Diplomats and policy analysts
who might have traditionally played important roles in gathering,
deciphering, and analyzing information are now largely irrelevant to
the policymaking process, as the decision on what to focus on is
already determined. The agenda-setting effect also influences the sub-
stance of policy to some degree, as it will tend to prioritize issues that
are more sensational—such as those involving mass suffering or
death—over those that may be dry to media audiences.
The impediment effect comes into play during military engagements
and hinders policy by reducing domestic morale and operational secu-
rity. As such, it affects policy largely at the implementation stage. It also
has implications on formulation as new policy is needed to fill the void
left by the outdated policy, which is deemed to be failing. The
impediment effect also largely impacts policy substance by promoting
alternatives that reduce or eliminate the detrimental costs of official
policy. In some cases, the impediment effect can hamper policy, leading