To Parrot or Not to Parrot: Media Adoption of Government Foreign Policy Rhetoric

• In Event: Political Communication Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual Poster Session: Political Communication Virtual Poster Session II

Abstract

In 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly dove into a policy of engagement with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Simultaneously, the State Department suddenly began calling Kim “Chairman,” his own preferred title. The media followed suit, shifting its wording to comport with U.S. government rhetoric. Building on previous research that shows presidents strategically shift the titles they use to refer to an adversary to signal a change in policy, this paper further explores the reach of presidential rhetoric. Through a textual analysis of news coverage of North Korean negotiations since the Six Party Talks in 2003, we examine if and when the media began using these more respectful titles after they emerged in government rhetoric. Contrary to political communications literature that suggests governments control framing of foreign policy issues, our findings indicate the media choose when to adopt the government’s words and when to leave them behind. This paper thus explores variation in the media’s adherence to government talking points. This study has implications not only for the study of foreign policy and rhetoric, but also in illuminating the complex relationship between the media and the government as they work to present information to the public.

Authors

• Jenna Gibson, University of Chicago

• Elsy Gonzalez, University of Chicago