To provide a background against which news and other information about world affairs will become more meaningful, this pamphlet describes the processes through which the mass media provides world affairs information to the public. It also discusses how various groups in the population make use of the information that is made available to them. The…

At the 19th General Conference of UNESCO a declaration on the "use of the mass media in strengthening peace and international understanding" was discussed. This article focuses briefly on views of the media by authoritarian and democratic states. (LBH)

Presents a qualitative analysis of Soviet media coverage of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1986, showing that several familiar themes, from unpopular guerrillas to national security, are used to justify the Soviet presence in Afghanistan. Compares Soviet press coverage of Afghanistan with U.S. coverage of El Salvador, revealing several parallels. (ARH)

Notes the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Spanish-American War and recommends an interdisciplinary study of that conflict. Discusses various aspects of the war (yellow journalism, imperialism, military campaigns) that could be integrated into the study of history, government, and literature. Includes a list of comparison topics and learning…

Presents an incisive overview of the historical writing concerning the Spanish-American War by U.S. historians. Summarizes and comments on some of the seminal works by Walter LaFeber, Paul Kennedy, and Louis A. Perez. Their works consider the conflict from the perspectives of international relations, domestic politics, and various ideologies. (MJP)

Although much is known about how governments and major media organizations stand on some world press problems, some important actors in the debate--small- and medium-size newspapers in the United States--have been ignored. The editors of these newspapers are gatekeepers who, like their counterparts on large elite newspapers, play a fundamental…

Provides an annotated bibliography of trade books that can be used in studying the Spanish-American war. Although aimed at adolescents, the selections include books for students with limited reading skills. Covers fiction and nonfiction including writings on the war from Stephen Crane and Mark Twain. (MJP)

Presents a lesson plan that compares freedom of the press in the United States and other countries. Reveals the extent to which the First Amendment protects press freedom from abuses found in other countries. Includes a world map illustrating areas enjoying freedom of the press, and related statistical tables. (MJP)