The Voice of Power -- U.S. Media and War

Author: Zhang Juyan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Voice of Power offers a fresh perspective and broad vision, revealing the little-known relationship between American media and power with unprecedented depth and breadth. The author argues that mainstream American media play the role of "watchdog" and "adviser" in politics, while maintaining a "symbiotic" relationship with other powers outside politics. The author received his Ph.D. from the renowned Missouri School of Journalism and currently teaches at the University of Montana. His expertise in media, public relations, and international relations lends this book unique value. It is a landmark work exploring the relationship between American media and power. In this book, you will see:
☆ How American media became part of the "overall propaganda" during the post-Cold War wars
☆ How a mysterious organization originating from the British Empire and its variants influence global public opinion
☆ The bonds, philosophy, and real-world roots of the "symbiosis" between American media and power
☆ How the vast American media empire was formed
☆ How the U.S. influences global public opinion
☆ Why the Pentagon sought to "embed" a Xinhua News Agency reporter
☆ How China influences American media coverage of China
☆ How the U.S. Constitution and laws protect media "Advertising Queen"
Before the outbreak of the Afghanistan War, the U.S. government hired Charlotte Bilas, a former chair of two of the world's top advertising agencies, to serve as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, reporting directly to Secretary of State Powell. In a BBC report on November 8, 2001, Bilas's task was described as "coordinating the relationship between the government and the media." Thompson Advertising, owned by the world's fourth-largest advertising company WPP (as of 1999 statistics), was where Bilas worked before being appointed Under Secretary of State by the Bush administration. She had previously served as the director of the world-renowned advertising agencies Ogilvy & Mather and Thompson Advertising. Known for her exceptional advertising skills, she was called the "most famous woman in American advertising" and the "Queen of Madison Avenue." In an interview with NBC, Bilas said, "This (America) is the most beautiful brand I've ever encountered," and she even considered buying advertising time on Qatar's "Al Jazeera" TV to influence public opinion in the Islamic world. Bilas once told Advertising Age, an industry magazine for American advertising, "I would choose any form of communication as long as it is effective." (ABC News, October 16, 2001)
During a series of hearings on "public diplomacy" held by the U.S. Congress, Bilas, as Under Secretary of State, proposed four key messages for "public diplomacy":
First, the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were not attacks on the U.S. but attacks on the world. Second, this war was not against Islam but against terrorists and those who support and shelter them. Third, the U.S. supports the Afghan people, which is why President Bush provided $320 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Fourth, all nations must unite to eliminate the scourge of international terrorism. According to a U.S. State Department briefing, the goal of these hearings was to "reshape America's image." At one hearing, Bilas said that one of her key tasks was to convey American messages to more people around the world, especially young people in the Muslim world. Bilas believed that in shaping messages, the most important thing was to emphasize emotional impact: the U.S. must continuously add humanizing visuals to the dry language commonly used in government communications. She said: "If you see this attack (on the World Trade Center) as the collapse of a building, you haven't understood its true meaning. But if you see it this way—how many children became orphans that day, how many people are still grieving—you will remember it." One of our goals is to incorporate those images into today's public diplomacy communications.
In reality, Bilas's "public diplomacy" is the application of modern public relations in international politics, also known as "international propaganda." The U.S. State Department has clearly articulated the goals of "public diplomacy," which is to influence global public opinion and promote American interests.