It's All About Trade: United States Press Coverage of Cigarette Export Talks and Policy

Abstract

This study focuses on United States press coverage of U.S. cigarette exports to Taiwan and Korea and examines whether there was congruence between U.S. foreign policy objectives and the direction of the news coverage. This study reveals that most mainstream U.S. newspapers followed the government's foreign policy objectives in reporting the issue of U.S. cigarette exports to Asia. Mainstream U.S. newspapers packaged cigarette export policy and talks into a trade issue characterized by fair trade and ethnocentric framing; this framing highlighted economic themes while suppressing or omitting health-oriented events or opinions. The United States press low-toned its critical voice when the United States vigorously pursued cigarette trade talks with Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, and raised its critical voice against already implemented policy once all trade agreements were finalized. Based on qualitative analysis, this study examines several key aspects of U.S. newspapers' coverage of these trade talks.