Constructing A Political Spectacle

American and Indonesian Media Accounts of the 'Crisis in the Gulf

Bibliographic Data

ID2276707
AuthorsArie S Soesilo (University of Indonesia), Philo C Wasburn (Purdue University)
Year1994
Volume35
Issue2
Pages367-381
Publication date1994-05-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociological Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0038-0253 • E-ISSN: 1533-8525
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1533-8525.1994.tb00415.x
OpenAlexW1921777642
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited35

Murray Edelman (1988) argued that media accounts evoke a spectacle that is a construction — an interpretation reflecting the social situations of the agents that produced it. Events take on meanings that perpetuate political roles, statuses and ideologies. Examining this perspective, this study compares the accounts of the “Crisis in the Gulf” constructed by a leading American newspaper, The New York Times, and a leading Indonesian newspaper, Kompas. The research bears on two related questions. First, is the account of this political event offered by each of these newspapers better understood as a symbolic representation of political reality or as a symbolic construct reflecting and serving political, economic and ideological interests? Second, do the accounts offered by the two newspapers differ in this regard? The New York Times operates within the context of a “free press” system while Kompas operates as a “developmental press.” Comparison suggests whether formal media system norms affect media news content

Context (archaeology · Ideology · Indonesian · Interpretation (philosophy · Linguistics · Media studies · Newspaper · Political science · Politics · Representation (politics · Sociology · Spectacle · Asian Studies and History · Globalization and Cultural Identity · History · Law · Media Studies and Communication

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