CNN and al Jazeera’s Media Coverage of America’s War in Afghanistan

From the vantage point of the United States, it seems that one unified reaction swelled in the hearts of the public, politicians, and media in the aftermath of the September 11 attack on America. The American public saw horrific scenes of the Twin Towers collapsing and smoldering wreckage from the Pentagon, followed by painful images of celebration by anti-American protesters in many countries in the Middle East. As American policy makers decided on a course of action in response to these attacks, the selling of the plan unfolded in the American media, including in CNN television coverage. Simultaneously, the U.S. military response was broadcast to the Arab world through a variety of Middle Eastern media sources, including al Jazeera television.