What Media Do U.S. Foreign-Policymakers Consume?

Media consumption habits among all Americans are changing quickly. The Communications Department at Human Rights Watch sought to better understand what media are consumed by those who shape US foreign policy at the State Department, National Security Council, and on Capitol Hill. Targeting those media more effectively will increase Human Rights Watch’s impact and ensure that HRW’s research findings reach the right audiences.

Based on 68 interviews conducted with current and former US foreign policy makers, the Capstone students used a combination of online/email surveys and telephone interviews to ascertain what foreign policy staffers read, watch, listen to, and surf in order to inform themselves about world events.