Fair Weather Friends: The Varying Role of the News Media in the Arab-Israeli Peace Process

Abstract

The ability of governments to promote their policies through the news media varies over time and political circumstance. The "political contest model" views the competition over the news media as part of a larger and more significant contest for political control. Government leaders are in a constant struggle to take control over the political environment, and their level of success has a major impact on the role of the news media. The greater a government's ability to initiate and control events, to regulate the flow of information, and to mobilize elite support, the greater is the level of media dependence on officials. This study looks at the Rabin government's attempts to promote the peace process to the Israeli public. Interviews and content analyses demonstrate the relationship between political control and news management. The government enjoyed a good deal of success during the initial month after the breakthrough at Oslo, but its inability to mobilize consensus led to some independence for the news media. The Israeli press reached its most adversarial role during the second phase of the Oslo process, when the initial breakthrough gave way to long and difficult negotiations. The government's inability to prevent terrorism, increasing political dissent, and a lack of informational control all contributed to the Israeli news media playing an independent and negative role during this stage in the Arab-Israeli peace process. Finally, the news media played their most dependent role regarding the peace process with Jordan, in which the Rabin government dominated the political environment with its own events and information. The high level of political consensus surrounding that agreement led the news media to become a central forum for celebration.