Jim Kuypers is an assistant professor of Political Communication and Rhetoric & Public Address. His teaching interests include political communication, rhetorical criticism, and American public address. Dr. Kuypers has published five books, and his latest book, ‘Bush’s War: Media Bias and Justifications for War in a Terrorist Age’ addresses the issue of Bush versus the media in the public’s opinion of the war of terror.
Q: You have recently published your fifth book — that is quite an accomplishment. Do you have a favorite work?
A: Yes, as a matter of fact I do, “The Art of Rhetorical Criticism” because it was a labor of love; Not only was it something I really wanted to do, but it involved both my teaching and research.
Q: How long did it take you to write ‘Bush’s War: Media Bias and Justifications for War in a Terrorist Age’?
A: From conceptualization of the idea to publication, close to three years.
Q: How was the publication process, have you worked with Rowman & Littlefield before?
A: This was a new publisher for me, and they were wonderful- very professional, and right on time, which is important. I would definitely recommend Rowman and Littlefield, they were really top notch.
Q: What inspired you to write ‘Bush’s War: Media Bias and Justifications for War in a Terrorist Age’?
A: Well, this book is the third in a series of work I’ve published involving what political actors (Presidents) have to say, and how their messages are transmitted to the general public though the press. In this book, I came up with a comparative framing analysis to present the picture.
Q: The book focuses a lot on how President Bush justified the actions of the United States military post Sept. 11, how would you sum up your opinion of this subject?
A: I wrote what I found. While I do have personal opinions, I try to minimize my presuppositions before I analyze my research, and whether what I find agrees with my presuppositions or does not, I write the facts.
President Bush was remarkably consistent with how we framed the war on terror … For this interview, I will say that President Bush has been straightforward from the start about the war in Iraq — what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, who we’re dealing with and why we’re there, where the press was inconsistent.
Q: You also talk a lot about how the media shapes the public’s perception of Bush’s messages. Would you argue that we are not getting the right story?
A: Absolutely — if you’re relying on mainstream media (I used CBS, ABC, and NBC in the book) and press like USA Today, The Washington Post or the New York Times. I would say that the press is outright not reporting accurately what the president has been saying about the War on Terror.
Q: What do you want your readers to take away from this work?
A: My advice is to consume the news with extreme skepticism, and I hope that anyone who reads this book will find his or her own perception about the media. One tip to verify news presented by the press is to go straight to the original sources like looking up speeches on the White House website.
Q: Do you have plans to publish again?
A: The way this has been working out, I write a part of the series, then a book on a different subject comes out, then another book comes out on a different area, but I am percolating ideas for a fourth edition.
Q: On a lighter note, you received both your B.S. and M.A. from Florida State University, and your Ph.D from Louisiana State University, does that make you a Seminole, a Tiger or a Hokie?
A: I route for the big green D because it’s safe (laughing). I have family who root for FSU, LSU and I’m in Hokieland, so it’s a balancing act. In all honestly, I like watching good teams play.
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