Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-237) and index.
Contents
Introduction: the spectacle of televised war -- High concept, media conglomeration, and commercial news -- The high-concept war narrative -- Intertextuality, genres, and stars -- War characters -- The look and sound of high-concept war coverage -- The marketing of the 2003 invasion of Iraq -- Conclusion: the narrative exits screen right, the coverage fizzles, and news is what, exactly?
Summary
Deborah L. Jaramillo investigates cable news' presentation of the Iraq War in relation to "high concept" filmmaking. High concept films can be reduced to single-sentence summaries and feature pre-sold elements; they were considered financially safe projects that would sustain consumer interest beyond their initial theatrical run. Using high concept as a framework for the analysis of the 2003 coverage of the Iraq War -- paying close attention to how Fox News and CNN packaged and promoted the U.S. invasion.