US Foreign Policy in the European Media—Framing the Rise and Fall of Neoconservatism

`George Tzogopoulos turns his forensic attention to debunking media myths about a sinister cabal of "neo-cons" hijacking the Bush administration prior to the 2003 Iraq war. His study powerfully illustrates how journalists contribute to misunderstandings by using strategic game framing -- in essence, sexing up a story -- instead of thematic issue framing; a more complex, explanatory approach. Tzogopoulos also assesses the many and varied uses of the term "neoconservative" long before it was applied to US foreign policy, thereby giving us a useful frame of reference for analysing future neoconservative trends.'

Armen Georgian, diplomatic editor, France 24

`US Foreign Policy in the European Media provides an original and thought-provoking approach to U.S. neo-conservatism and to European public opinion: By analysing how newspapers like Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine or The Guardian framed the "neo-cons", the author reveals the strategies of scapegoating used by European opinion-making elites. These leading journals made the conventional wisdom, which sees the "neo-cons" behind the foreign policy of the Bush administration, acceptable for a wide European public. Tzogopoulos challenges the widely shared view of Bush's foreign policy as being revolutionary, by putting it in the context of International Relations theories. This extremely rich and carefully researched study shows us how press coverage can lead to a misunderstanding of American foreign policy. At the same time, it provides a new insight into the rise of a European public sphere.'

Matthias Waechter, Director of the Institut Europeen des Hautes Etudes Internationales (IEHEI)

After 9/11, neoconservatism was widely regarded as the dominant political ideology informing US foreign policy -- particularly by the press. George N. Tzogopoulos here argues that the impact of neoconservatism can be disputed, examining other factors which influenced US foreign policy and the role of other politicians outside the neoconservative movement.

Tzogopoulos demonstrates that prior to the events of 9/11, the key opinion forming newspapers in Europe differed in their representations of neoconservatism. But, after 9/11, the European press rapidly adopted very similar approaches, constructing neoconservatism as the driving force behind Bush's international politics approach and the war on Iraq.

US Foreign Policy in the European Media asks why it is that media coverage in Europe focused on neoconservatism in particular over other IR theories, and analyses the different factors -- such as the scapegoat theory -- which influenced journalistic work. As the media continues to play an influential role in the perception and understanding of US policy around the world, Tzogopoulos also assesses the ways in which the European media are portraying US foreign policy under the Obama administration.

This is an important contribution to our understanding of the dynamic between International Relations and the news media, and is an essential addition to the existing literature on the influence of the so-called `neo-cons' in the George W. Bush administration

Dr George N. Tzogopoulos is research fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) in Athens where he also works as a journalist covering politics and international relations. He has cooperated with the European Council on Foreign Relations and is a regular contributor to international news agencies and media organisations such as Al-Jazeera, Associated Press, BBC, CCTV, France 24, Reuters, RAI, RTL and ZDF. Dr Tzogopoulos holds a first degree in History from the University of Athens, an MA in Mediterranean Studies from King's College London and an MA in International and European Studies from Institut EuropTen des Hautes +tudes Internationales (IEHEI) of Nice. He obtained his PhD in Social Sciences (Media and Communication Studies) at Loughborough University in 2009.