Introduction
Journalism is a critical field that plays a positive role in determining events and topics that policymakers and citizens should discuss and guide social or political issues. This paper presents a case study of news coverage of the same issue by a traditional and a new media organization. The lessons gained from the analysis are presented in an attempt to promote evidence-based or appropriate news reporting in the United States and across the world.
Interpretive Analysis: Shifting Institutional Environment of Journalism
The selected issue that has significance for national foreign policy and international relations is the current rivalry between the United States and China. Within the past decade, these two countries have been implementing harsh or competitive foreign policies in an attempt to pursue their common interests while at the same time improving their military and industrial capabilities (Wong and Rappeport). These developments have resulted in hostilities that might catalyze numerous international relation issues. This is something that has been informed by the concept of realism.
Whenever such tensions emerge or occur, media or news outlets should offer high-quality and analyzed information to promote positive debates and arguments. The first news organization is the New York Times. This can be described as a traditional media institution since it has been publishing and distributing newspapers for the past 160 years. Bloomberg News is a new media firm that uses its online platform to deliver information to its readers in the United States and across the world (Ying). These two categories of news firms have adopted similar approaches whenever reporting different affairs that have significance for national democracy and policy. This is the case since the institutional environment of journalism has shifted within the past three decades.
In the New York Times article, “In Race for Global Power, U.S. and China Push Nations to Pick a Side,” the authors indicate that the current brinkmanship existing between China and the US is forcing different nations to select sides. Using this publication, the news organization indicates that the current tension between these nations is capable of catalyzing global economic standoffs and geopolitical threats (Wong and Rappeport). Although the competition is founded on trade, experts have warned that it might influence both military and diplomatic issues across the world. America has gone further to propose new taxations for all imports from China.
On the other hand, China has been signing multilateral and bilateral trade pacts with different countries in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. The authors go further to explain why the self-interests these two nations pursue have the potential to affect multilateral institutions.
The article “America’s Cold Warriors Hold the Key to Handling China,” published on Bloomberg’s online platform, explains why the contention between these countries cannot be defined as a “cold war.” However, the author argues that the US needs to dictate or limit China’s influence in order to promote global stability. The country needs to focus on the real issues emerging from this dilemma, including the promotion of authoritarian capitalism and corruption to support the operations of different countries (Brands).
The article indicates that the use of proper politics and the desire to strengthen democracies are some of the best initiatives for addressing the current conflict. Using the lessons gained during the infamous Cold War, the author encourages US policymakers to promote solidarity with the major democracies in the world in order to cope with the geopolitical threats China poses today.
The function of News Reporting
From the above discussions, it is evident that the shifting environment of journalism has created new platforms for monitoring and analyzing critical issues that can affect the success of a given nation. The selected organizations focus on the current relationship existing between China and the United States from an informed perspective. This is a clear indication that the function of news reporting across all media outlets has converged.
News reporting remains a critical aspect of every democratic or political system (Ying). Using the case of the United States, it is agreeable that media reports have continued to serve as intermediaries between citizens and the government. Both traditional and emerging news organizations continue to help people identify issues for discussion and analysis. Consequently, they will always be involved in political and social aspects that can result in a true democracy.
The selected issue in the news appears to have a significant impact on the country’s democratic process and international relations. From the above two reports, it is evident that both organizations describe the existing US-China relation as an upheaval whose attributes do not match those of the Cold War (Brands). The outcome is that such news outlets guide all citizens, policymakers, and politicians to pursue evidence-based policies that will transform the situation.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that most of the news producers in the United States are playing their roles as expected. The outstanding observation is that there is a need for all news agencies and organizations across the country to adopt this positive function and eventually support the establishment of a democracy. All upcoming institutions should embrace a similar model to support the development of superior policies in the United States.
Works Cited
Brands, Hal. “America’s Cold Warriors Hold the Key to Handling China.” Bloomberg, 2019. Web.
Wong, Edward, and Alan Rappeport. “In Race for Global Power, U.S. and China Push Nations to Pick a Side.” The New York Times, 2018.
Ying, Fu. “Can China-U.S. Relations Step Back From the Edge?” Bloomberg, 2018. Web.