Publisher's Synopsis
During the past two decades the press in the USA has gained a reputation as a major force affecting both the substance of national policy and the process by which it is formulated. On a host of issues - from the US involvement in Vietnam and Richard Nixon's opening to China to the downfall of Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos - the media has emerged as an important "third presence" influencing the interaction of governments with their domestic publics. And where the influence of the media has grown, controversy has been quick to follow.;In this volume leading journalists and officials as well as academic experts analyze the respective roles of the press and the government in the formulation and implementation of foreign policy. One surprising conclusion subscribed by most of the authors is that more, not less, media coverage of foreign affairs is required if both the public interest and the national interest are to be well served.
