This volume explores the political impact of journalistic discourse on international -- and especially Canadian/American -- relations. In so doing, it provides a comparative analysis of American and international press accounts of selected Canadian/American issues such as free trade, cruise missile testing, and acid rain. The intention of the book is to enhance understanding of the political significance of journalists' interpretations of Canadian/American affairs, although the communication perspective and method of news analysis of the book are appropriate for the study of the United States' news-mediated relations with other countries. This study also examines the way people negotiate news-mediated political discourse and how that communication process can influence international affairs.

Richard L. Barton

Contents: Part I:News Media and International Relations: Theory and Method. A Theoretical Framework. News Form and Audience Orientation: An Alternative Approach to the Analysis of International News. Part II:The Politics of American News in Canadian/American Relations. This Historical Context of Canadian/American Relations. The News Examples. A Formal Survey of American TV News Coverage of Canadian/American Affairs. Cruise Missiles Over Canada: A Comparison of American and International Press Accounts of Canadian Sovereignty. Free Trade: Dealing in Cultural Futures. Part III:Conclusions.