This study analyzed newspaper coverage conflicts in Afghanistan and Chechny
a by the New York Times and the Russian newspaper Izvestia to examine the i
mpact of political change on news coverage. The Soviet Union's dissolution
included dramatic changes to the Russian media system. In addition, the dis
sipation of the Cold War changed the foreign policy of the United States. A
content analysis revealed that the changes to the media system in Russia h
ad a profound impact on Izvestia's coverage, but political changes had litt
le impact on the New York Times' coverage.