Analysis Of The Cnn Effect

The World War II made the first truly global international information dissemination system in the history. Any events happened in any region in the world will affect or cause other parts of nation's interest, without any geographical constraints. In the early 1980s, with the unprecedented innovation of media technology and developed vision, Ted Turner created CNN, the first global news network networks in the world. CNN broadcasted news in real-time 24hours a day via a combination of global satellite and cable TV network. Especially in the 1990-1991 Gulf War, CNN emerged and was famous as a timely live global "international relation" role in the world, and set as a successful news coverage model to inspire BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), NBC (National Broadcasting Company) to establish their global networks.With the growth and diversification of CNN news reports, including the creation of "CNN international" channel, have affected the global spread of many aspects of international relations, such as technology, economy, culture, law, media, politics, diplomacy, and war, terrorism, human rights, environmental degradations, refugees and health. During 1980s, these effects only given limited attention in academic and professional community, however, since CNN reported the Gulf War, it encouraged people to do more investigation in these areas. The report of "Gulf War" can be seen as a turning point in history of modern communication, especially in history of CNN, which not only made CNN TV news programs become in a leading position around the world, but also brought a new perspectives and research directions for the study of modern global television and news network. This article focuses on the CNN which characterized as a real-time news and comments news media, its foreign news covered most important worldwide region and then influenced some country's foreign policies and strategies and international public opinions. The entire interaction phenomenon is called CNN Effect.Although there is not enough evidence to confirm the "CNN Effect", many articles have exaggerated this effect and deviated from the real global television impacts to mass communication, journalism and international relations. However, CNN was successful to make many broadcasters understand the value of international news, and CNN also made people recognize how the foreign news media interactive affects politics, economic, military and other aspects. To some extent, CNN, especially "CNN International" has become a major symbol of world media, culture and public policy which American attempt to dominate, meanwhile, "CNN Effect" also expanded and changed some traditional theory in journalism and communication academic community. In a word, this article aims to study the "CNN Effect" during the global television era in the following aspects. First, it introduce the causes and specific content of "CNN Effect", then build a theoretical framework to analyze its characteristics and the results from the different research. Finally, summarize the lessons in order to provide some strategic analysis for the future study on international and global communication.