Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Miscellaneous International Journalism International Journalism International news coverage in the United States has declined dramatically in the last two decades, leaving the American public lacking in awareness of the world's diversity and beauty. This is unacceptable. The public has access to many forms of media-radio, network and cable television, newspapers, magazines and the Internet-yet lack a basic literacy in international issues. The media no longer provides comprehensive coverage of world news. However, as a far-reaching medium, American news media has an obligation to educate as well as inform the nation's populations. Therefore, despite a post-Cold War political calm, competitive media markets, and fewer foreign correspondents, news mediums must forge a new framework from which to cover international topics. A survey by Harvard showed that network's coverage of international news has declined by 70% and newspaper coverage by 80% since the 1970's (American Society of Newspaper Editors). Both of these drastic drops have come since the end of Vietnam and the end of the Cold War. In the years of East-West mentality when American's saw Communism as a collective enemy and there were devastating military entanglements, the public was regularly up-to-date on current international events. They were personally invested, and therefore had the initiative to maintain worldly literacy. After the Vietnam War in the 1960's, the nation began to pull back from foreign concerns as the nation became enthralled by Watergate and its aftermath. The 1980's closed the Cold War, also closing collective national fears of international violence. The decade following, American citizens began thinking as isolationists with a greater concern for domestic affairs. Editors in tune with the times began reducing the coverage of world issues as readers were purchasing fewer papers with international stories. Likewise, network news sliced the minutes of its world coverage as people began turning the channel (See Appendix A). The reduction of international stories in American news coincided with a general change toward consumer-driven journalism. What began as basic good business, news sources strove to give customers what they want by putting more weight in polls. However, this need to please for profits has since overshadowed all else. Media venues like Internet news, news magazines, reformed newscasts are born by the minute, all seeking to tap into profitable audiences (Dennis, Merrill, p.221). Journalistic quality and content has taken the back seat to the shrewdly delivered big boom stories of violence, tragedies, celebrities-stories that can be packaged with colorful graphics and photos-stories that catch readers' eyes and get them to buy. Editors, faced with the facts that readers don't purchase or watch international stories, have cut back coverage to give room for more splashy stories. Editor of Media Industry Newsletter, Steven Cohen, complied the following list of some of the worst selling magazine covers in 1994: Newsweek, "Bosnia's Anne Frank," February 28; New Yorker, Yasir Arafat, May 16; U.S. News & World Report, Nelson Mandela, May 9; Business Week, "China: How Much Change?" June 9 (Hohenberg, p88). Given such statistics, and increasingly competitive media venues, news sources have sacrificed international coverage. Journalism business ventures center on cutting back on spending while in the search for big-selling stories to entice advertisers. While diversity of coverage as well as the coverage's quality dwindles, one of the largest forfeits of budget cuts is the elimination of foreign bureaus and correspondents. Dan Rather of CBS says " 'the trend in American journalism is away from, not toward, increased foreign coverage. Foreign coverage is the most expensive. It requires the most space and the most time because you're dealing with complicated situations which you have to explain a lot.'" (Hohenberg, p6) This summarizes a journalistic business viewpoint on international news coverage, and typifies the reasoning behind foreign bureau cut backs. Estimates range from $125,000 to $300,000 for supporting a correspondent abroad for one year, which varies more if correspondent has a family (Hachten, p.111). News sources refuse to invest in in-depth foreign correspondence when their stories do not sell as much as cheaper coverage of domestic affairs. In addition to market pressures, other factors play into the decline of foreign correspondents. Correspondence abroad has intense requirements of an individual-an educational background in languages, history, writing, and diplomatic norms; ceaseless travels; little or no time for family or personal life. These facts are not appealing to job-seeking journalists and coupled with bureau cuts, there is little incentive to become a foreign correspondent. Additionally, it is dangerous to live as a representative of the American media abroad. In 1994 alone, there were 115 foreign correspondents killed, the 'year of media slaughter' (Geyer, p.7). Covering wars, civil unrest, natural disasters, and other news stories often puts the correspondent in highly politicized or unstable situations. The job is dangerous, and at times threatens life. Consequently, foreign correspondence has drastically diminished and only select major news sources continue to maintain active international bureaus. Therefore, in the investigation of factors that have led to declining world coverage, three major categories stand out. The close of the Cold War, competitive media markets, and too few foreign correspondents, summarize the reasons for the reduction of international news. The lack of coverage and interest can be ameliorated, however, with the development of a new framework with which to raise international issues. If the traditional and new media venues take the time to reestablish public interest in foreign issues, perhaps the public will renew their interest in their world neighbors. The core areas to reinvent a international news framework is in community links, richer content, and special packaging. To begin, news sources must localize interest-start small. If local papers, area news, Internet sites and other community resources concentrate on developing world news coverage, audiences will begin to recognize the importance of being educated in international affairs. An integral step in developing this new framework of interest begins with linking the community to other countries and their people. The world is increasingly interdependent in areas such as economics, the environment, crime, drug trafficking, health and immigration, therefore opening opportunities for journalists to relate international stories to American communities (American Society of Newspaper Editors). For example, business' tied to international markets is a deep-rooted reason to report on international money matters, while diverse communities' immigrant populations broaden the cultural link to other nations. Also integral in developing a new framework of interest are educational efforts. Workshops and classes for news staff and in local schools must teach the growing importance of international awareness in this global age. In addition to linking the community to international stories, the content and packaging of stories also plays a major role in raising interest. Today, if an event in the world makes the news it centers on politics, wars, accidents, natural disasters, violent images (Richstad, Anderson, p.54). Since those are the only stories printed, readers turn the page not looking to read more negative events. Although there is an importance in covering disaster stories, journalist's must first reinvent readers' curiosity before they will take the time to read the story in depth. Interest is raised when content expands beyond violence and politics. Adding international cultural spots such as interviews, recipes and traditions will teach as well as link communities to other peoples. Introducing international non-governmental organizations, their missions, and Americans who chose to work in them also serves as informative and curiosity-sparking international coverage. When searching for means to connect American communities to the wider world, news sources cannot help but broaden topics and deepen coverage. Some smaller newspapers are already attempting to reach audiences by running international stories with a new spin. The Cincinnati Enquirer, Portland's Oregonian, The Dayton Daily News, The Annistan Star in Alabama, and Spokane's Spokesman-Review all run inserts or specialized articles relating international news to their towns (American Journalism Review). The success of these papers' world coverage not only lies in linking communities and broader content, but also in packaging. In an age where the biggest and brightest sells, marketing techniques are intricately important to the success of more international coverage. Better content and community-connected stories will not be read if not attractive to the eye. Likewise, advertisers will not financially support an effort unless the new framework of world coverage includes the flash that sells papers. The examples of papers above have mostly chosen to cover world news with inserts, however, there are smaller additions with which news sources can catch readers. Advanced computers allow for advanced map-making, graphics, web sites, scripts and print lay-outs. Simple additions as such make a world of difference. Not only would these packaging pluses supplement stories, but also attract advertisers appealing to readers interested in world news. Corporations, industries, university programs, restaurants, and specialty stores are a few examples of businesses that could be targeted as financial contributors to new international pieces. There are a number of recommendations for today's new sources to improve and sell international coverage, but the first priority is to recognize the need for more coverage in general. Once the media agrees that the current state of world news coverage is in need of drastic reinvention, only then may progress begin. Few dispute that the dramatic decline of international news coverage with the close of the Cold War, increasing media competition, and fewer foreign correspondents needs to be addressed. Sadly, in the age of an increasingly globalized world, Americans are seriously lacking a basic understanding of international issues. As citizens of the world's major superpower, Americans have an obligation to maintain a level of international understanding. Therefore, with its far-reaching educational powers, the media must forge a new framework of balanced, informative international coverage. Only with the broadening of international news stories can the American public become aware of the world that they are only one part of, a world in which they are timelessly interconnected Bibliography: Bibliography American Society of Newspaper Editors. www.asne.org. Speech by Edward Seaton before the International Press Syndicate, May 26, 1998. Arnett, Peter. "Goodbye World". American Journalism Review, November 1998. Dennis, Everette E. and John C. Merrill. Media Debates: Issues in Mass Communication. New York: Longman Publishers, 1996. Fiske, John. Introduction to Communication Studies. New York: Methuen, 1982. Gans, Herbert. Deciding What's News. New York: Pantheon, 1979. Geyer, Georgie Anne. "Who killed the Foreign Correspondent?" The Red Smith Lecture in Journalism. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame, 1996. Hachten, William A. The World News Prism. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University, 1987. Hess, Stephen. International News and Foreign Correspondents. Washington D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1996. Hohenberg, John. Foreign Correspondence. New York: Syracuse University Press, 1995. Layton, Charles. "It's a Small World". American Journalism Review, June 2000. Media Studies Center. www.mediastudies.org. Columbia University Seminar on Communications and Society, February 20, 1997. Merrill, John C. Global Journalism: A Survey of the World's Mass Media. New York: Longman Publishers, 1983. Pollack, John Crothers. The Politics of Crisis Reporting: Learning to be a Foreign Correspondent. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1981. Reeves, Richard. What the People Know: Freedom and the Press. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1998. Richstad, Jim and Michael Anderson. Crisis in International News. New York: Columbia University Press, 1981. Word Count: 1620
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