PRESS AND UNITED-STATES-POLICY TOWARD NICARAGUA, 1983-1987 - A STUDY OF THE NEW-YORK-TIMES AND WASHINGTON-POST

A content analysis of the New York Times and Washington Post for the years 1983 to 1987 shows that these newspapers demonstrated a pattern of legitimating U.S. government policy in the United States-Nicaraguan conflict. About half of all sources named in both newspapers were government officials with a stake in the official view. "Contra" officials representing Nicaragua's anti-government forces supported by the United States were seldom cited. But there was some critical coverage, however, criticism centered primarily on the means of achieving stated U.S. policy goals rather than on the appropriateness of the policy itself.