When media and world politics meet: Crisis press coverage in the Arab-Israel and East-West conflicts

This study employs crisis press coverage (CPC) to examine the uniform reporting assertion raised in communication theories. To explain CPC, the authors outline and apply a conceptual framework that links crises diversity and reporting modes. Findings on all short crises in the Arab-Israel and East-West conflicts from 1945 to 2006 show that despite differences in crisis attributes some coverage similarities remained intact, particularly the use of text at the expense of photos and similar issues in the news agenda. Yet, most CPC characteristics support a positive link between crises diversity and variety in press coverage, casting doubt on the single coverage hypothesis.