The Mass Media and the Relevance of International Peacekeeping, Peace-Enforcement and Humanitarian Operations With U.S. Military Policy

Abstract The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Iraq War and Global War on Terror have dominated headlines in recent years regarding U.S. military posture and policy. Before September 11, 2001 much attention was being paid to peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and humanitarian operations. Although focus on these matters has diminished since September, 2001 they are still relevant in that they are significant aspects of U.S. foreign policy. This report will analyze the impact of international peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and humanitarian operations on U.S. national security strategy since 1992. This analysis will include focus on the consistent relevance of mass media and the role it plays regarding variables such as political considerations, human rights and military capabilities. A specific point to be illustrated in this report is that mass media affects the decision making process related to the evolution of international peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and humanitarian operations as tools linked to U.S. national security strategy. Key Words: Mass Media, International Policing, Peacekeeping, Peace Enforcement, Humanitarian Operations, War, Military Operations JCMRJournal of Communication and Media Research, Vol. 2, No. 2, October 2010, 167 – 177 . About the author Jim Schnell, Ph.D., Colonel, USAFR (retired), Professor, Ohio Dominican University Columbus, Ohio 43219, U.S.A. Full Article Words: 5,556 Pages: 11 To access full article, click on download. Article Citation Schnell, J. (2010): The mass media and the relevance of international peacekeeping, peace-enforcement and humanitarian operations with U.S. military policy. Journal of Communication and Media Research 2(2): 167 – 177.