1st Edition
Global Media Perspectives on the Crisis in Panama
Operation Just Cause, the United States' incursion into Panama, was the culmination of a gradually escalating confrontation between the United States and the Noriega dominated government of Panama that extended from June, 1987 until early January, 1990. Applying diverse methodological approaches, this volume examines the various ways representative examples of the global media covered the developing crisis and the eventual US incursion into Panama. The volume: - sets the stage for this analysis by delineating the chronological development of the escalating confrontation, as well as by examining the confrontation from the perspective of the US government - analyzes the crisis from the perspective of the US, Soviet, Canadian, French, Portuguese, Arab, and the People's Republic of China media - exposes the challenges for public affairs officers operating within the context of the global media response to international crises, and provides an assessment of the implications of the crisis for inter-American and international relations. This analysis and evaluation of a variety of global media perspectives on the escalating US-Panamanian confrontation will serve to better illuminate and further enrich our understanding of a major international event - indeed, one of the final events of the Cold War era.
Biography
Howard M. Hensel, Air War College, USA and Nelson Michaud, École nationale d'administration publique, Canada
'News coverage of the 1989 US military intervention in Panama was influential in shaping global perceptions of America's role in the world. This volume's authors provide a thorough and thoughtful analysis of how the news media around the world reported this event, and offer an important new perspective on a crucial time in international political history.' Philip Seib, University of Southern California, USA 'Among the prerequisites for crafting an effective foreign policy is understanding how others will interpret one's behavior. This book contains a set of lucid, detailed analyses of how the media in various countries covered the confrontation between the United States and Panama which culminated in Operation Just Cause. For anyone seeking penetrating insights into how other countries perceive American actions or a sophisticated examination of the various roles the media play in foreign policy-making, this collection of meticulous studies is required reading.' Gregory A. Raymond, Boise State University, US A 'A must read book on global media perspectives of Operation Just Cause and the U.S. relationship with Panama’s Manuel Noriega. Having worked for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1987, it was like reliving the events with greater historical understanding. Hensel and Michaud are experts at bringing history and foreign policy to life.' Napoleon Byars, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA 'The diversity of national perspectives in the news is an intriguing topic but a difficult one to analyze. This valuable collection provides a broad spectrum of national perspectives on a single news event. It is a rare and highly commendable comparative media analysis in the variety of disciplinary and methodological approaches it uses and the regional area specializations of the authors.' Elizabeth C. Hanson, University of Connecticut, USA
