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Cited by 261Media Studies and CommunicationMedia Influence and PoliticsInternational Relations and Foreign Policy

Crossing the Water's Edge: Elite Rhetoric, Media Coverage, and the Rally-Round-the-Flag Phenomenon

Groeling, Tim, Baum, Matthew A.·2008·The Journal of Politics
DOI 10.1017/s0022381608081061
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Abstract

The most widely accepted explanation for the rally-round-the-flag phenomenon is a relative absence of elite criticism during the initial stages of foreign crises. In this study we argue that the nature and extent of elite debate may matter less than media coverage of any such debate and that these often systematically diverge. We also argue that not all messages in this debate matter equally for public opinion. Rather, the persuasiveness of elite messages depends on their credibility, which, in turn, arises out of an interaction between the sender, receiver, and message. Hence, only by understanding the interactions between elites, the public, and the press can we account for variations in public responses to presidential foreign policy initiatives. We test our theory by examining public opinion data and a new dataset on network news coverage of all major U.S. uses of military force from 1979 to 2003. We content analyze all congressional evaluations of the president and the executive branch of government from the three network evening newscasts within 61-day time periods centered on the start date of each use of force. Our results offer strong support for the theory.

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Crossref · 10.1017/s0022381608081061

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  • To the extent that the media adopts a consistent approach to reporting about cyberterrorism, any elite variance will not necessarily filter down to the public.

    “To the extent that the media adopts a consistent approach to reporting about cyberterrorism, then any elite variance will not necessarily filter down to the public (Groeling and Baum 2008; Kertzer and Zeitzoff 2017).”

    From Public Opinion and Cyberterrorism (2023) · cites this paper as Groeling and Baum 2008

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Authors
Groeling, T., & Baum, M. A.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
ORCID
Venue
The Journal of Politics
Publisher
University of Chicago Press
Published
2008-10
Volume
70
Issue
4
Pages
1065-1085
ISSN
  • 0022-3816 (ISSN-L)
  • 1468-2508
DOI
10.1017/s0022381608081061
OpenAlex
W3125270158
Cited by
243
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 9
FWCI
38.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
The Journal of Politics (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Media Influence and Politics
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › International Relations and Foreign Policy
Keywords
elite rhetoric, media coverage, presidential foreign policy, public opinion, credibility

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