ABSTRACT Title of thesis: FRAMED: HOW COLIN POWELL’S U.N. SPEECH ON IRAQ SET THE NEWS AGENDA FOR AMERICAN AND BRITISH TELEVISON NEWS Christopher Shlemon Master of Arts Spring, 2013 Directed by: Dr. Christopher Hanson Associate Professor Phillip Merrill College Of Journalism University Of Maryland Numerous scholars and press critics have asserted that American news coverage of the run-up to the Iraq war was less skeptical than British coverage. This thesis explores the validity of that claim in the television news coverage of one key event: Colin Powell’s February 5, 2003 address to the United Nations in which he made the case for war. How effective was the Bush administration in using Powell’s presentation to set the news agenda in America and Great Britain? Contrary to expectations, a qualitative content analysis found British network ITV framed the event in much the same way as did American networks ABC, CBS, and NBC. FRAMED: HOW COLIN POWELL’S U.N. SPEECH ON IRAQ SET THE NEWS AGENDA FOR AMERICAN AND BRITISH TELEVISON NEWS by Christopher Shlemon Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2013 Advisory Committee: Dr. Christopher Hanson, Chair Dr. Kalyani Chadha Dr. Mark Feldstein © Copyright by Christopher Shlemon 2013 Preface I joined Independent Television News of London (ITN) as a member of its Washington Bureau staff on January 28, 1986...the same day Space Shuttle Challenger exploded over Florida after liftoff. That unforgettable event set the tone for what has been a fascinating journalistic journey. For over a quarter of a century I've had the privilege of covering a great many of the major political events, breaking news stories, natural disasters and cultural trends which have affected not only the United States--but the entire world. I found myself working for Independent Television News of London (ITN) having already gained valuable experience editing and producing news stories for local television stations in Tampa, Phoenix and Dallas before joining NBC News in Washington, D.C. The opportunity to work for television news organizations on both sides of “the pond” has afforded me a rare vantage point from which I have been able to closely observe the unique approach taken by journalists in each nation as they crafted their stories and produced their nightly newscasts. In culture and values, Britain is comparable in many ways to the United States but in just as many ways it could hardly be more different. In interviews I conducted for this thesis, several of my British colleagues expressed their perception of a gulf between Americans and Britons that applies to the journalists in both countries. The Americans tend to be optimistic and believe in the ideals of the Republic while their British counterparts are more jaded and skeptical. British reporters are less inclined to report in a patriotic mode than American journalists. The British were America’s staunchest ally when the invasion of Iraq was launched in 2003. I work with many of the journalists who were assigned to cover that conflict. Some were embedded with U.S. and British military units. Some reported from Washington, London, Baghdad and other capitals of the nations involved. ii Some were not assigned to specific military units and roamed unilaterally throughout the war zone. One, ITN’s John Irvine, was stationed in Iraq's capital and became the first television correspondent to greet U.S. troops as they rolled into Baghdad for the first time. As I listened to accounts of their experiences on the front lines, I was always fascinated by the differences in which my colleagues from Great Britain viewed the war in comparison to my American colleagues. It intrigued me that while these colleagues were all covering the same conflict, it seemed at times as though they were reporting about an entirely different war. My purpose in writing this thesis was to investigate whether British and American reporting were as different as my first impressions suggested and if so, what was the best explanation for those differences. iii Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the guidance and the help of several individuals who in one way or another contributed their valuable assistance in the preparation and completion of this study. First and foremost, my utmost gratitude to Dr. Christopher Hanson, whose knowledge, advice, guidance, encouragement and sense of humor enabled me to complete this research work. Secondly, to all the producers, editors and correspondents I have had the privilege and honor of working with at ITN over the last quarter of a century. They remain the best in the television news business. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS: Preface...........................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements......................................................................................iv Table of Contents..........................................................................................v List of Tables................................................................................................vii Chapter 1: The Key Moment of Public Salesmanship On the Path to War....................................................................1 Television, the Most Influential Medium.................................................2 The Bush Administration Frames the News Agenda.............................5 The Purpose of This Study...................................................................10 Chapter 2: Literature Review.......................................................................11 The “Rally Round the Flag” Effect .......................................................12 The Relationship Between the Military and the Media.........................14 Television Goes to War........................................................................17 Literature Written on Iraq War Television Coverage..............................23 Literature Written on Colin Powell’s U.N. Presentation and WMD.......31 Literature Review Summary.................................................................34 Chapter 3: Hypothesis and Research Questions......................................36 Hypothesis...........................................................................................37 Research Questions............................................................................38 Research Methods...............................................................................38 Why These Networks Were Chosen For Study...................................40 Limitations of this Research.................................................................43 Future Research..................................................................................44 Chapter 4: Powell’s Presentation, The Key Moment of Public Salesmanship for the War......................................................45 Evaluating the News Coverage............................................................48 The Bush Administration’s News Agenda............................................50 Identifying the Bush Administration’s Frames......................................51 v The Origins of These Frames....................................................................53 #1: Colin Powell is highly trustworthy, thoroughly prepared, effective and credible................................................................53 #2: Colin Powell will present/presented strong evidence that Iraq had or was acquiring WMD................................................54 #3: Colin Powell will present/presented evidence of a link between the Iraqi government and Al Qaeda............................55 . Chapter 5: Findings Analysis of the Network Transcripts.....................................................56 Evaluating News Coverage of the Frames...........................................59 Summary of Framing Analysis ............................................................71 Answers the Research Questions........................................................75 Avenues for Further Study...................................................................81 Script Approval..........................................................................81 Deference to Authority...............................................................83 Conclusion...........................................................................................85 Appendices....................................................................................................90 Interview Transcripts Ted Koppel................................................................................90 Tom Brokaw..............................................................................95 Bill Neely....................................................................................98 Lindsey Hilsum........................................................................100 John Irvine................................................................................102 David Smith..............................................................................103 Matt Frei....................................................................................107 Sentences Used For Framing Analysis.........................................................108 United Nations News Center Summary of Powell Presentation.....................................................145