About Book

In Debating War and Peace, Jonathan Mermin examines the role of the American press in covering U.S. military interventions following the Vietnam War. Through analyses of events such as the interventions in Grenada and Panama, the bombing of Libya, the Gulf War, and actions in Somalia and Haiti, Mermin argues that the media often mirrors the government's perspective, especially when there is bipartisan support for intervention. He contends that journalists have frequently allowed government officials to set the terms of debate, limiting critical examination of foreign policy decisions. This work challenges the notion of an adversarial press and calls for a reevaluation of journalistic practices in the context of war reporting.