Currently, foreign affairs are the primary issues on the agenda. The war in Ukraine and protests in Iran are significant international events that affect the whole world. For instance, the war is one of the reasons for the current energy crisis that has a notable negative impact on the global economy (Eddy). Moreover, it poses a direct threat to democratic political regimes globally; hence, it is one of the primary issues on the agenda. After all, it affects all areas of life of millions of people and influences politics, economics, and social policies.
Turmoil in Iran is another notable topic on the agenda because it might lead to a political regime shift and become more democratic. Such international events have been one of the American primary concerns in foreign policies, and they receive extensive public attention (Roskin et al. 343). In other words, foreign affairs are frequently on the agenda, but they are particularly notable when they concern U.S. goals internationally (Roskin et al. 346). Mass media shows similar trends regarding the political situation in Russia and China because these countries are generally considered political opponents in the international arena (Sanger). Biden stated that China could potentially reshape the world order, and such problems are bound to be on the agenda (Sanger). Ultimately, the analysis of The New York Times shows that foreign affairs are currently the primary topics in the discussion.
However, there are multiple other issues that could be on the agenda if the conditions were right. As Roskin et al. (149) note, mass media has a substantial impact on politics and shapes public opinion. At present, multiple articles in The New York Times analyze international events, shifting the focus from domestic politics to foreign affairs. For instance, the Russian-Ukrainian War, political turmoil in China, and protests in Iran are on the current agenda. However, if the international situation was less hectic, domestic politics could return to the mainstream mass media. Roskin et al. (151) emphasize that most newspapers in the United States are controlled by large corporations, and their primary objective is business profitability. It means that they will choose to reflect those events that generate the largest revenue and advocate for those opinions that make people want to read more. In other words, there would have been more news about domestic conflicts and disagreements if the international situation was not as dire.
Works Cited
Eddy, Melissa. “The World Economy is Slowing More than Expected, a New Forecast Shows.”The New York Times, 2022.
Roskin, Michael G., et al. Political Science: An Introduction. Pearson, 2016.
Sanger, David E., et al. “Biden’s national security strategy focuses on China, Russia and democracy at home.”The New York Times, 2022.