To succeed in foreign policy, U.S. presidents have to sell their versions, or "framings," of political events to the news media and to the public. But since the end of the Cold War, journalists have increasingly resisted presidential views, even offering their own spin on events. What, then, determines whether the media will accept or reject the White House perspective? And what consequences does this new media environment have for policymaking and public opinion? To answer these questions, Robert M. Entman develops a powerful new model of how media framing works and suggests ways to more effectively encourage the exchange of ideas between the government and the media and between the media and the public. From the U.S. invasion of Grenada to the war in Iraq and its aftermath, Entman offers a comprehensive understanding of modern foreign policymaking that is sensitive to the changing historical context and to the ethical complexities facing the world's only superpower, its press, and its citizenry. His book will be an essential guide for political scientists, students of the media, and anyone interested in the increasingly influential role of the media in foreign policy.