Rethinking The Role of Media in the Outcome of 21. Century Conflicts: A Media-Policy Interaction Approach

<p>The primary objective of this article is to explore the role of media in the outcome of 21st-century conflicts in the light of two cases: the War on Terror and the 2008-2009 Gaza War.<strong> </strong>In line with this objective, this study first critically evaluates two main theoretical approaches to media-politics relations in international conflicts: CNN effect and Manufacturing Consent media theory. Then, it offers an insight into media-policy interaction model both as a solution to the theoretical deadlock between these theories and as a conceptual framework for understanding the role of media in determining the outcome of 21^st-century conflicts. Lastly, the question of ‘To what extent do the media determine the outcome of 21^st-century conflicts?’ is answered by analyzing media coverage of the War on Terror and the 2008-2009 Gaza War in the light of media-policy interaction model.