Date of Award
Summer 8-2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Social Science and Global Studies
Committee Chair
Joseph J. St. Marie
Committee Chair School
Social Science and Global Studies
Committee Member 2
Robert J. Pauly, Jr.
Committee Member 2 School
Social Science and Global Studies
Committee Member 3
Tom Lansford
Committee Member 3 School
Social Science and Global Studies
Committee Member 4
Michael Wigginton, Jr.
Committee Member 4 School
Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, and Security
Abstract
In the years following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States ramped up its usage of drones and drone strikes around the world. Spanning three United States’ presidents, drone strikes became a regular feature in the US military arsenal. While American newspaper media and citizens have been very pro-drone, global citizens view drones in a far more negative light. This study examines US military drone strikes and English-speaking allied newspapers in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom and evaluates if coverage remains positive or negative depending on the newspaper’s conservative or liberal leanings from 2008–2019. The argument was tested by using a qualitative research methods methodology using a case study approach and newspaper content analysis with the theory of smart power. The results of this study found that the political leanings in our English-speaking allies’ newspapers do have some influence if the articles are positive or negative towards US drone strikes, but it is not a one size fits all situation. American newspapers, the liberal New York Times and the conservative Wall Street Journal, remained positive towards US drone strikes throughout the years of this study. Interestingly, this study also found that as the years of war continued, the number of drone strike articles found in the US and our English-speaking allied newspapers decreased, perhaps reflecting a donor fatigue situation.
ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7206-7528
Copyright
2021, Melissa K. Aho
Recommended Citation
Aho, Melissa, "When You Play The Game of Drones, You Win or You Die: Examining the Role of U.S. Drone Strikes in U.S. and English Language Allies Newspapers from 2008-2019" (2021). Dissertations. 1910.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1910
Included in
American Politics Commons, Defense and Security Studies Commons, International Relations Commons