Unreliable Watchdog by Ted Galen Carpenter

Unreliable Watchdog by Ted Galen Carpenter

Freedom of press is a cornerstone of our democratic political system. But reporters, pundits, and editors face intense pressure to serve as propagandists rather than journalists in their coverage of U.S. foreign policy. Too many members of the news media seem unable to make that distinction and play their proper role as watchdogs for the American people regarding possible government incompetence or misconduct. Since World War II, America has become a garrison state always prepared for armed conflict and the conflating of journalism and propaganda has grown worse--even in situations that do not involve actual combat for the United States. That behavior increasingly constrains and distorts the public's consideration of Washington's role in the world.

In Unreliable Watchdog, Ted Galen Carpenterfocuses on the nature and extent of the American news media's willingness to accept official accounts and policy justifications, too often throwing skepticism aside. He takes readers through an examination of the media's performance with respect to the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the conflicts in the Balkans, the prelude to the Iraq War, the civil wars in Libya and Syria, and Washington's post-Cold War relations with both Russia and China. The analysis explores why most journalists--as well as social media platforms--seem willing to collaborate with government officials in pushing an activist foreign policy, even when tactics or results have been questionable, disappointing, or even disastrous.

Unreliable Watchdog jump-starts a badly needed conversation about how the press must improve its coverage of foreign policy and national security issues if it is to serve its proper role for the American people.

Ted Galen Carpenter is senior fellow for defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. He is the author of 18 books and the editor of 10 on international affairs, including The Fire Next Door: Mexico's Drug Violence and the Danger to America; Smart Power: Toward a Prudent Foreign Policy for America; and Korean Conundrum: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea. Malou Innocent is an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. She was a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute from 2007 to 2013. She is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and her primary research interests include Middle East and Persian Gulf security issues and U.S. foreign policy toward Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781952223334
ISBN 10	1952223334
Title	Unreliable Watchdog
Author	Ted Galen Carpenter
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cato Institute
Year published	2022-11-29
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.