This paper examines the New York Times performance about the use of news sources
in reporting unilateral approaches of statehood recognition. Following a critical
perspective, the Propaganda Model is employed as a theoretical thrust. It argues
that the free accessibility granted to the voices of government and its international
allies is among the filters that affect the construction of media discourse. Two
case studies are selected for juxtaposition, namely: Palestine and Kosovo. Both
states are qualified to be internationally recognized according to international
law theories. The unilateral approach of Palestine is firmly opposed by the U.S.
government—unlike Kosovo. The analysis reveals a structural bias in favor of the
U.S. foreign policy of statehood recognition. The news sources were positioned in
a dichotomous order: “our” voices versus “theirs.” Specific news sources (i.e., the
Russians) holding “opponent” views have been either completely suppressed or
reverberated the voices of the “others/enemies.”

Title

Media Watch

Publisher

Deepak Ranjan Jena

Publisher Country

India

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

0.34

Publication Type

Both (Printed and Online)

Volume

10

Year

2019

Pages

453-470