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THE MEDIA CIRCUS How Media Events Are Used in the International Struggle for Image Power

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THE MEDIA CIRCUS How Media Events Are Used in the International Struggle for Image Power THE MEDIA CIRCUS How media events are used in the international struggle for image power by Maria del Pilar Bolanos A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Journalism Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2012 Maria del Pilar Bolanos UMI Number: MR91500 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ttswWioft FtoMstfiriii UMI MR91500 Published by ProQuest LLC 2013. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT This thesis analyzes international media events as tools of national image management, assessing the value of strategic exposure to gain influence in a world where image, power and public perceptions intertwine. Media events are scripted and controlled offering an excellent opportunity to steer messages, reach large audiences, influence the agenda and construct images. They are also versatile: rhetoric, visuals, emotional connections and personalization can be adjusted to effectively reach targeted audiences. International media events are a hub of multiple sources, meanings and audiences, where international and domestic politics meet. This is why they are power struggles where the resulting coverage depends on the issues at stake, the combination of political and communication strategies and the media's interests, practices and values. As regional and global issues are increasingly discussed under media scrutiny, this dynamic gains more relevance in the way the public understands and participates in world affairs. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This apparently lone endeavour actually involved many participants whose contributions became the building blocks of this work, and to whom I am eminently grateful. I would like to express my gratitude to Peter Johansen for his commitment to this project and for his confidence in my ability to complete it successfully. I did my best to attain his superior standards. I also wish to thank Melissa Aronczyk, whose enthusiasm and love for her profession were an inspiration to me, and whose guidance ensured a sound beginning to this project. Also, my gratitude goes out to all the participant journalists, diplomats and communication professionals not only for having taken the time to talk to me, but most importantly for having entrusted me with their knowledge and experience. Their names are listed in the Interviews section. A special thank you goes to Gary Clement and Giancarlo Ciambella for providing materials as accompaniment to this thesis, and to Terry Guillon for finding archived documents that I required for my research. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of my friends and family, who patiently listened to my every discovery and encouraged me to carry on to the end. Last but not least, thank you to Carlo for his understanding, and to Aldo and Ennio for having shared their mother with this project. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv INTRODUCTION 1 WHAT ARE MEDIA EVENTS? 8 Defining Media Events 9 International Media Events 22 THE VALUE OF STAGED EVENTS 32 A Giant "Big Brother Show" 33 New Diplomacy 34 Image Power 37 The Media and the Audience 45 The Show Must Go On 48 STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS 58 The Target Audience 62 Planning Messages: Rhetoric, Images and Emotional Connection 65 Personalization 80 External Factors 89 MEDIA RELATIONS LOGISTICS 97 Traveling with a Head of Government 99 Facilitating the Work of the Media 106 Services 107 Information Ill Access 115 ALL THE PRESIDENT'S COOKIES 125 Background 127 The Communication Framework 130 Facilitating the Work of the Media 133 Strategic and Media Relations Considerations 137 One Clear, Focused Message 137 iv Barack Obama and Canada Share the Love 144 The Presidential Detour 146 The Value of the Event 151 CONCLUSION 155 APPENDICES 169 Appendix A: Media itinerary for Prime Minister Stephen Harper bilateral visit to Athens and Kalavryta, Hellenic Republic 169 Appendix B: 2011 G8 International Media Center in Deauville, France 175 Appendix C: 2010 G8-G20 Media Program 177 SOURCES 179 Interviews 179 References 180 v THE MEDIA CIRCUS How media events are used in the international struggle for image power INTRODUCTION On- oW! Art ax'/s Co-Oper^ion I — Reproduced with permission by the artist Published on January 21, 2011 in the National Post, this Gary Clement cartoon captures in its simplicity the main argument of my thesis: international media events are strategic tools of image management for nations in search of influence on the world stage. By watching on TV a single picture of the Chinese and American leaders smiling and shaking hands, the spectator realizes the dynamics of power on the continent have shifted. The cartoon depicts Korean dictator Kim Jong-il watching on TV a media event, an action that has been carefully scripted and staged in front of the cameras to influence public opinion. The fact that the spectator is a head of government emphasises, as 1 2 cartoons do, the relevance and ordinariness of what he is doing. His grim expression reveals that he, like any other spectator, recognizes the new reality conveyed by the happy smiles on television. It is highly unlikely a national leader will find out that such a change is happening via television, but most of us do. So, Mr. Clement has a point: the world is watching the interactions amongst nations and getting the messages they convey. "In the modern new media age people are very aware of how visual diplomacy has become and every act communicates, every picture says something about those involved," says Michael McCurry, a former White House and Department of State spokesman, pointing at the role of media events in shaping perceptions around the world.1 Unlike other occurrences that make news, media events are planned, staged and highly controlled in terms of access and information. For that reason they offer an excellent opportunity for organizers to steer their message. Just as electoral campaign experts and other public relations practitioners rely on media events to influence the agenda, reach large audiences and construct political images, I will argue that world leaders rely on international media events for the same reasons with the intent of securing a particular position on the world stage. How does the communication aspect of international media events play a role in the overall dynamics of power in the world? To answer this question, I have divided this analysis into five parts: First, we shall look at what media events are through a literature review on the subject; what makes them efficient communication tools and how they are an actual form of international interaction that plays a role in international discourse. In 1 Unless otherwise noted, sources lacking parenthetical citations are based on personal interviews with the author. Their names are listed alphabetically in the Sources section under Interviews. the second chapter, we shall consider the global context in which these events occur and how that contributes to their strategic value. We live in a world that is moving away from geopolitics and power to the post-modern world of influences, (van Ham, 1989) where image and reputation are playing a larger role in tandem with other traditional sources of power. Thanks to democratization, a push for transparency has opened up diplomacy to more and more public scrutiny and participation. All of this takes place in a world of perpetual and instant communications, where political and social life are shaped by the logics of spectacle (Kellner, 2003); this also applies to the way we see and understand international interactions. The combination of these factors sets the stage for world leaders to perform their roles in front of the cameras through media events in search of international stature for their nations. At the same time, the peculiar combination of policy tools and platforms gives media events a high news value for journalists who, despite acknowledging their utterly staged nature, find in them the source of stories that affect people's lives. The third chapter deals with issues of strategy. It considers the combination of elements that contributes to the overall success in conveying a consistent message during a media event - rhetoric, images, emotional connection and personalization - and the unexpected circumstances that may derail an intended message. Fourth, we shall delve into the supports provided to secure coverage by facilitating the work of the media. What is particular about the media relations practices of an international media event is that they create a relationship of mutual dependency between media and organizers. Organizers need the media to convey their message to the public, while journalists rely on organizers for information and access. However, the media come to the event with their own perspective, interests and practices, which create a particular 4 dynamic that produces the final version of an event and determines how it is presented to the public. The fifth chapter integrates much of the previous discussion with a case study. I analyze the visit to Canada by U.S. President Barack Obama in February 2009, considering how the elements described above resulted in favourable coverage of the visit. This is a study about media relations, not political strategies or international interests. I do not attempt to define why or how foreign policy is determined, but concentrate on how the communication strategy during a media event represents added value for a country's reputation.
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