WAS NIGHTLINE BAD FOR AMERICA? Michael Socolow looks at the program’s history and legacy:

The initial popularity of “Nightline” was due to the sensational nature of the Iranian hostage crisis. Throughout 1979 to 1980, the American public watched infuriating pictures from Iran on a daily basis. The video emphasized America’s global weakness; the crisis made the United States appear a helpless giant. . . .

The mob’s media savvy was so sophisticated that chants would be rendered in English, Persian and, occasionally, for the benefit of Canadian and French television, in French. The students clearly understood how to exploit the independent, non-governmental nature of American broadcasting. They also knew that reaching the American public was relatively easy, as there existed only three American broadcast networks, and all of them dedicated enormous time and resources to coverage of the story.

The Al Qaeda leadership has repeatedly emphasized this lesson to its followers. Reminding its followers of the Tet offensive, the Tehran crisis and the disastrous Somalia mission, Al Qaeda statements reveal the belief that it is far easier to demoralize Americans than to defeat its armed forces. For this reason, beheading videos have become an important strategic tool in Al Qaeda’s arsenal.

Yet America’s enemies fail to understand that the power of network journalism to structure the public sphere has been significantly lessened. The era of the big three network news divisions is over.

Perhaps that’s why we’re winning this war.

UPDATE: A somewhat contrary view here. And The Fearless Critic observes:

[J]ournalists should understand that this is how much of America views them — as a propaganda tool used masterfully by the enemies of our country.

Most journalists and academics I know think this is hogwash. Perhaps it is, but there’s nothing changing the fact that a good chunk of the population believes this to be true. We should start trying to figure out why.

That shouldn’t be hard.