Broken Promises Agenda Setting and tone in news stories about North Korea’s nuclear program

A Rogue Nation: News Headline Tone in International Coverage of North Korea’s September 2017 Nuclear Test

“…Jiang (2006) analyzed cross-cultural differences in questions and responses between journalists and spokespersons at press conferences in the US and Japan regarding the North Korean nuclear tests, but this study had little to do with North Korea other than as a context for coding responses. Similar to this study, Cain and Drumheller (2014) analyzed the agenda setting and tone evident in newspaper headlines related to North Korea's fourth nuclear test. Most research, however, comes out of fields in international affairs, analyzing policy and strategy of world leaders from the US, South Korea, and China, in particular (e.g., Anderson, 2017;Cho, 2017;Hong, 2017;Oh & Hassig, 2010).…”

“…The authors employed a method similar to the one they used for their previous examination of how newspapers covered North Korea's nuclear test in 2013 (Cain & Drumheller, 2014). This study is a descriptive content analysis of 38 news headlines from six international television broadcasters: BBC World, headquartered in the United Kingdom; Voice of America, based in the United States; Channel NewsAsia, located in Singapore; NHK World, headquartered in Japan; Arirang TV, based in South Korea; and China Global Television Network, located in China.…”

“…In reviewing the headlines news organizations use to report on North Korea's nuclear tests, it is important to understand the policies and positions in North Korea's tensions with the United States. For years the US and North Korea have entered into agreements easily broken by North Korea (Cain & Drumheller, 2014). In 2003, the Agreed Framework of 1994 collapsed and the US, Japan, South Korea, and China provided incentives such as construction and energy supplies for North Korea to denuclearize (Oh & Hassig, 2010).…”

“…In 2003, the Agreed Framework of 1994 collapsed and the US, Japan, South Korea, and China provided incentives such as construction and energy supplies for North Korea to denuclearize (Oh & Hassig, 2010). Yet, North Korea tested its first nuclear device in 2006, its second in 2009, and in 2013, North Korea ran its third test and announced it would no longer discuss denuclearization regardless of UN sanctions imposed (Cain & Drumheller, 2014). The current US president has used more aggressive rhetoric than previous politicians (Hong, 2017), yet North Korea did not seem initially moved by the president's tone, running its sixth nuclear test despite warnings.…”

“…News coverage of North Korea's continued thwarting of denuclearization efforts has often ranged from neutral reporting of events to negative condemnation with little to no positive commentary (Cain & Drumheller, 2014). North Korea's sixth nuclear test on September 3, 2017, brought variations in headlines from news organizations around the world.…”