INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM

Journalism is in itself, a very potent force to discover and bring to the focus of
people, the issues which are very important to their lives. Journalism at the
international level also tends to follow the same norm. It also tries to bring to
the people the coverage of major issues around the world in the most authentic
manner possible. But somehow this field of journalism has been bogged down
by certain problems and issues. Through this project, we will try to analyze all
these issues and the trends which are to be seen in this field. All this has been
based on the documentary proof available as well as research done in this
relation.

THE NEWS VALUES

How does a journalist or an editor decide what's newsworthy and what's
not. According to some media researchers, they refer to a set of so-called
'news values'. These are the criteria which enable them to determine
whether a 'story' is followed up in the first place and then whether it makes
it into the news, competing against all the other possible items.

One of the best known lists of news values is supplied by Johan Galtung
and Marie Holmboe Ruge. Although there research was conducted three
decades ago (1965), it still holds importance in the decision of international
news.

The values they identified are:

• Frequency: The time-span of an event and the extent to which it 'fits' the
frequency of the newspaper's or news broadcast's schedule. Such events are
also unambiguous, their meaning is quickly arrived at and they don't need
any explanation. E.g.: accidents, crashes.

• Threshold: How big is an event? Is it big enough to make it into the news?
The size of an event tends also to be mitigated somewhat by its degree of
'meaningfulness'.

• Unambiguity: How clear is the meaning of an event? The mass media

generally tend to go for closure. An event such as a murder, a car crash
and so on raises no problems; its meaning is immediately grasped, so it is
likely to make it into the news. A survey of 300 leading US media
professionals across the US, conducted by The Columbia Journalism
Review, revealed that the most regular reason why stories don't appear is
that they are 'too complicated'.

• Meaningfulness: How meaningful will the event appear to the receivers of

the news? The concept of cultural proximity determines that which news ought
to be meaningful and which not. The same is likely to apply within our own
society, ethnic groups, the underprivileged etc. receiving less coverage.

• Consonance: Does the event match the media's expectations? In most cases,
journalists know what to report. The classic example of this is the 1968 anti-
Vietnam demonstration in front of the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square. The
media expected violence. As a result, it was the very minor amount of violence
which in fact claimed all the attention.

• Unexpectedness: 'Man bites dog' is news. If an event is highly unpredictable,

then it is likely to make it into the news. The unpredictability does, however,
need to be within the confines of meaningfulness and unambiguity.

• Continuity: Once an event has been covered, it is convenient to cover it

some more - the running story. Apart from anything else it allows media
organizations to be in place to cover the original event. This will depend very
much on the nature of the event.

• Composition: This is a matter of the balance of the news. It's a matter of the
editors' judgment, more than anything else. If there's a lot of foreign news
around, some of it will be dropped in favor of more domestic news.

• Reference to elite nations: This relates again to 'cultural proximity'. Those

nations which are culturally closest to our own will receive most of the
coverage. This also leads to discrimination in the way news are presented in
relation to nations.

• Personalization: This connects with unambiguity and meaningfulness. Events

are seen as the actions of individuals. Incompatibility between the
Government's policies and the Opposition's is presented as a personal showdown
between the two party leaders.

• Negativity: Bad news is good news. Bad news has many of the other
characteristics as well - it may be unexpected, unambiguous, consonant with
our general expectations about the world, it may be 'big', e.g. a major
catastrophe etc.

The implication in many studies of news values seems to be that they are
virtually objective factors, to which journalists and editors react reflexively.
However, many studies of news production have led to the same conclusion
as Tuchman: The selection of news events is not a reflex action, but the
socially determined construction of reality.
 FOREIGN NEWS: HOW TO DO IT
When looking at foreign news, one must look at the reasons for being in a
certain location for reporting in the first place.

1. Is our interest there in danger?

2. Are you a threat to us?
3. Do they have something that we can use?
4. Disaster: how big and could something like this happen to us?

There are two ways to become a general foreign news correspondent. The first
way is to go there and work as a freelance journalist, otherwise known as a
stringer. They are able to get their name known and after a long time they
have the ability to get hired full time. The other way is that they receive a job
at home and then they work their way up in the organization leading to foreign
reporting.

Media organizations send foreign correspondent by either stationing them or

parachuting them. If the media organization has a permanent presence then
journalists are rotated. The typical rotation is two to four years. The
journalists gain experience and knowledge.

Foreign Correspondents Reporting From Afar

Satellite phones lets correspondents transmit text, sound and video without the
need of any land based lines. A correspondent could then transmit any of this
information back to the main office in the United States from almost any point
on the planet. It became famous during CNN's coverage of the Gulf War when
Peter Arnett used it to broadcast live from the heart of Baghdad while the
bombs were falling. Continuous, live news coverage on cable found its
potential in such crises with the immediacy it can bring.

With greater technology, journalists have been able to deliver news right at the
time of their occurrence. However; the possibility of error increases as there is
no cross-checking of facts and judgment of news is affected due to real time
broadcasts. The recent war in Kosovo provided again brought home the power
of immediate images of an unfolding crisis. The rise of Web-based news
providers has also spawned a new type of journalist who must put together
hybrid stories of text, photos and sound.

HOW FOREIGN NEWS HAS BEEN COVERED BY MAJOR COUNTRIES

OF THE WORLD
The following findings and conclusions are based on UNESCO’S reports and
papers on mass communication titled-“Foreign News in Media-International
Reporting in 29 Countries” which was compiled by International Association
for Mass Communication Research in 1985.
The research covered diverse media systems in countries which varied in their
level of development, political orientation and pattern of socio-economic
organization. The results provided an up-to-date picture of the current
situation with regard to international news flows in many parts of the world.
The countries that were selected for the study were as follows: Argentina,
Brazil, Mexico, US, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Zaire, Zambia,
Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Hungary,
Poland, USSR, Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, Greece,
Iceland, Netherlands &Turkey.

Essentially, what is provided by this research is a systematic account of the

parameters and structures of international news reporting, with the main focus
on the manifest content of news, categorized in commonly accepted
categories.

Summary of findings

· The study covered a wide range of media systems which were

characterized by a variety of political standpoints and developmental
orientations. These differences are not reflected, in the parameters of
international news presentation. This is not to suggest that the actual
content of international news reporting is the same, but what does
appear to have become almost universal is the selection of the same foci
in international news reporting.

· Looking at geographic representation, the other universal finding is the

prime importance of regionalism. In all the national media systems
studied much attention and emphases were given to events occurring
within and belonging to, the geographical region in which the country
was situated.

· After the regional stress, a second level of attention was identified,

namely the ‘consistent news-makers’: the United States and Western
Europe. The nature of the news coverage depended on the nature and
extent of the old colonial and the newer neo-colonial economic and
political ties between the centers and the peripheral nations.

· Regions of the developing world make news when undergoing some kind
of disturbance that makes them, for a time, at least, a ‘hot-spot’ of
tension and crisis. These countries are neither the source of, nor
themselves apparently particularly interested in, presenting ‘softer’
news items. News tends to stereotype all regions in some way or
another.
 Findings by Robert L. Stevenson, School of Journalism University of North
Carolina, United States

1. Foreign news is mostly political news and associated topics of

economics, military and diplomatic activity. Disruptive events do get
heavy coverage but by no means the only coverage. Positive
developments figure prominently in foreign news even though ‘bad
news’ does attract readers and is generally considered newsworthy
by journalists.

2. ‘Bias’ is largely in the eye of the reader. Most news does not single
out any country or group of countries for negative coverage. Most
news is essentially neutral, and when evaluation is presented,
coverage is generally balanced between favorable and negative.

Findings by David H. Weaver, G. Cleveland Wilhoit, Robert L. Stevenson,

Donald Lewis Shaw and Richard R. Cole(School of Journalism Indiana
University, United States & School of Journalism University of North
Carolina, United States)

Their analysis of eight selected services of the big four Western news agencies
(Associated Press, United Press International, Agence France-Presse, and
Reuters) suggests the following conclusions:

1. Much more international news is available each day from the big four
Western news agencies, than most domestic media can, or, do use. There is at
least a rough correlation between the amount of Western wire service
international news that flows into a region and the amount of international
news in the press of that region.

2. Western news agency international reporting concentrates most heavily on

political actors, almost regardless of the region being reported. There appears
to be proportionally greater coverage of economics and less coverage of
domestic politics of the region to which a wire service is directed as compared
to other regions in that wire.

3. In both more developed and less developed countries, the bulk of Western
wire service coverage tends to concentrate on political and military matters,
with very little reporting of cultural, scientific and medical achievements.

It is likely that one of the main reasons for the widespread use and influence of
the big four Western news agencies is their ability to provide timely reports of
important events around the world for a reasonable price. But use of these
news agencies should not preclude use of other sources of news, such as
regional news agencies and other national media, for coverage of topics and
themes not on the agendas of the big four Western agencies.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM- ISSUES AND TRENDS

Till now, we saw the way international news were selected, reported and how
different media systems of world looked at reporting of international events. In
this section we will see the varied issues which are to be seen in this field as
well as the new trends which are redefining this field. Some of these show a
positive trend for international reporting while some echo certain concerns for
this field. We will see all of them in order to understand as to how this genre of
journalism is poised in world sphere.

International news- the way to go

· The media has to learn to do a better job with international news. Each
day, dozens of events overseas go unnoticed because journalists fail to
see and report the big picture. Editors and reporters routinely ignore
stories that do not directly affect readers and viewers within a given
community or region. Such a perspective might have been acceptable 40
or 50 years ago, but not today.
· We are now living in a global community. Events occurring on the other
side of the world are every bit as important. Technology has brought
citizens everywhere closer than ever before, and we need to realize that
people share certain universal concerns. People everywhere have a
growing desire to learn more about the world and to understand how
certain events play a role in the development of a society or culture.
The media must respond accordingly or risk marginalization of its
impact, influence and credibility.

· Another factor for journalists to consider when dealing with

international events is who actually gathers and reports this news to
other newspapers and broadcast stations. Noam Chomsky believes that
the media conglomerates set the agenda for reporting both international
and national news.

· Perhaps the most important element when trying to analyze the view of
news coverage is relative perspective. The way a particular person looks
at news is different in different countries around the globe. People who
travel abroad will certainly know that the entire world looks very
different when viewed by the eyes of foreigners.
Media Manipulation of Foreign Policy by Ramsey Clark (excerpted from the
book War, Lies & Videotape)

· There is a near perfect harmony and common control of the policies of

powerful governments and the media in these countries. Their power is
enormous, and together they determine the news. They decide what the
people know as news. It is difficult to say that how media would cover
pressing humanitarian issues.

· There may be enough news seepage to make it necessary for even the
most powerful media to begin to report, because they can't afford to
lose public credibility. When people begin to suspect that they are being
denied information, they will be fed it in small and manipulated doses.
But the fact remains that the media is in the business for money, and
media owners make money by superior capacities for violence and
exploitation.

Parachute The News

· Parachuting is when a huge news event occurs and there is extreme

interest in the event. The media organization appoints a team to report
on the issue. The journalists set up a telecommunication connection to
home. These journalists need not have any knowledge of the place. The
reporting does not come with deep knowledge and unfortunately most of
the big stories are parachuted.

· Assessments of parachute journalism go hand in hand with widespread

despair about the decline of foreign reporting, which may be summed up
as follows. Foreign correspondents are expensive, and readers do not
care that much about foreign news except when something dramatic
occurs. Hence newspapers cut back on the number of permanent
correspondents abroad. When a major story does come along,
newspapers throw ill-equipped reporters into the fray. Behind this view
lies the conventional wisdom that a real foreign correspondent is an
elite professional, dedicated solely to their overseas beat, separated
from the city desk mentally as well as physically.

· The modern foreign correspondent emerged in the last part of the 19th
century. They are men of knowledge. Carrying forward this normative
view of the elite foreign correspondent, an assessment of foreign
correspondents and their work suggests this class of reporters is not
losing ground as a special class-apart.
 Interesting international news

· Foreign news is expensive but that is just a part of its well-documented

decline. News executives also assume that people aren’t interested in
news untill it affects them personally. And if peole aren’t interested,
then the news organisations that are investing dollars, time and space in
reporting foreign news will find that their audience is disappearing.
Given these assumptions, what kind of foreign news coverage can news
organisations afford if they believe there is value in providing audiences
with a better understanding of the world.
· Sooner or later, what happens to anybody else- down the street or
thousands of miles away, it is bound to affect us. But how can journalism
accommodate this enlarged mission. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Most news organisations cannot afford to keep correspondents
abroad but they can send reporters abroad to write about events
which are not really front page news.
2. News organisations can experiment with consortiums. Some
independent regional newspapers can send few reporters abroad
to provide good stories throughout the year.
3. Making foreign news interesting is the key. If new international
journalism is dull then we can forget about an audience for it.

Freelance international news

· Hundreds of freshly arriving foreign correspondents obscure the fact that

they are often dispatched by major news organisations to cover
international events only after they are overtaken by them. And their
presence obscures the crucial role that local and freelance journalists
play in ensuring that some otherwise forgotten places are properly
covered in absence of a major media presence.

· The role of foreign freelance journalists in providing the backbone of

international coverage highlights the importance of press free from any
government influence. It is freelancers and local journalists who are now
playing a crucial role in Central Asia ensuring that the world understands
these events as they have rocketed to the forefront of international
attention. When a story forces media executives to react to events,
their reporters must turn to those who are on the ground and well-
informed. Invariably those they turn to are freelancers and local
journalists.
· Freelancers usually have to pay upfront their travel expenses, expenses
on research , making contacts with no guarantees of their work
published or expenses reimbursed. But , during the course of their work
freelancers develop certain advantages- essential context for any story,
pertinent background and well-developed sources in place. At such
moments, they could offer plausible and well-informed analysis of what
a news story meant. It is important to remember the invaluable role
played by freelancers and local journalists whose commitment to
reporting gives substance to current coverage. They play a pivotal role in
maintaining a free press by delivering knowleadgeable, firsthand, well-
sourced information from the field. It is their dedication to this vital
enterprise that creates the foundation of what we read and view.

Reporters Without Borders

· Reporters Without Borders, or RWB is a Paris-based international non-

governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was
founded in 1985 by current Secretary General Robert Ménard, Rony
Brauman (then president of Doctors Without Borders) and the journalist
Jean-Claude Guillebaud. At first, the association was aimed at promoting
alternative journalism. But when Robert Ménard became its Secretary
General, he changed the NGO's aim towards freedom of press.
· Reporters Without Borders is a founding member of the International
Freedom of Expression Exchange, a virtual network of non-governmental
organisations that monitors free expression violations worldwide and
defends journalists, writers and others who are persecuted for exercising
their right to freedom of expression. RWB compiles and publishes an
annual ranking of countries based upon the organization's assessment of
their press freedom records.

Shrinking international news

· Coverage of international news by the U.S. media has declined
significantly in recent years in response to corporate demands for larger
profits and an increasingly fragmented audience. Several prominent
journalists say these cutbacks might have contributed to the uncertainty
and confusion among many Americans.
· Many news executives say they don't have to maintain large overseas
contingents today because modern transportation and communications
technology make it possible for them to cover stories and move staff
quickly when a crisis erupts.
· Maintaining a foreign staff is expensive. But reductions in foreign
coverage cannot be attributed solely to high costs. The Associated Press-
-with 95 foreign bureaus--the New York Times News Service and the Los
Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service, among others, have
 continued to provide reams of foreign copy daily, at no extra charge; in
the package of news and features they provide their media clients.
· For most U.S. newspapers, the issue is not sending correspondents
overseas but committing space to international news and hiring editors
knowledgeable about the world to pull together packages from news
services. For the networks, it is committing correspondents, producers,
crews, and time on their main news programs.
· News organizations have to take responsibility for coverage. Some
editors and news directors argue that it's up to journalists to persuade
people of the importance of international news.

International news: From Past To the Present

· The true golden age of foreign correspondence was the time between
World Wars I and II, also a period when memoir writing by foreign
correspondents crested. Vincent Sheehan’s, “Personal History,”
published in 1935, began a number of other best selling memoirs by
foreign correspondents. Those memoirs, which were really extended
reports of what correspondents were seeing on the ground, warned of
the coming global conflict. They also had remarkable literary quality.

· Those media, which paid correspondents well and let them write at
length, are gone. Likewise, the newspaper that pioneered the concept of
a comprehensive supplementary foreign news service, The Chicago Daily
News, is gone, as are other newspapers that fielded superb corps of
correspondents.

· Unlike newspaper correspondents, broadcast reporters have agents who

secure large salaries for them. In the absence of compelling public
interest in foreign news, it simply doesn’t pay to put those expensive
reporters and crews in the field, especially when the broadcast
audiences that advertisers want to reach most are ones that tend to care
the least about foreign news.

· History offers no solace for foreign correspondence practiced the

traditional way. The only hope for its survival lies in thinking about
foreign news differently. We need to give more credence to the creative
approaches newspapers are trying. They are getting much better at
using specialized home-based staff to undertake stories with a foreign
angle. We live in a very different world, and we have to make the best
of it if the public is to be equipped to deal with the global challenges
that face them.
 Demise of foreign reporting

· Instead of stepping up coverage of international affairs, American

newspapers and television networks are steadily cutting back. Between
2002 and 2006, the number of foreign-based newspaper correspondents
shrank from 188 to 141 (excluding the Wall Street Journal, which
publishes Asian and European editions). Only few U.S. papers -- the
Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times the Chicago
Tribune, the Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, McClatchy
newspapers and The Washington Post -- still keep a stable of foreign
correspondents.
· In an effort to cut costs, newspapers are replacing bureaus -- which
require staffs and cars and family housing -- with mobile, trouble-
shooting individual correspondents.
· Although many people have a glamorous image of foreign
correspondents, theirs is a lonely, gritty and often dangerous way of life.
Cutting back on first-hand reporting from abroad and substituting
cheaper, simpler forms of overseas news delivery is a false economy and
a grave mistake.

For Better Foreign Coverage in India

As per Amita Malik, senior columnist, The Pioneer- it is important to

understand that since India is at the threshold of being a future
superpower, the Indian media should also step up its coverage if
international news. Since certain news networks have some tie-ups with
international news networks (like Times Now with Reuters), they should use
their vast resources in order to get the best of international news and
present that to the ever-growing audience which wants to have a truly
international experience.

REFERENCES:

1. Foreign Correspondents Reporting Today - Eric Burroughs

2. Reporting International News In a Serious Way - William F. Foo
(Stanford University, Former Editor, St. Louis-Post Dispatch)
3. Freelancers’ vital role in international reporting - Nate Thayer (Former
Senior Correspondent, South-East Asia, Far Eastern Economic Review)
4. A Remembrance of Foreign Reporting – John Maxwell Hamilton (Dean,
Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University)
5. Foreign News in Media: International Reporting in 29 Countries –
UNESCO and International Association For Mass Communication
Research (1985)
 6. Foreign News Coverage – Colleen Leary
7. Foreign News Coverage: An In-Depth Analysis – Associated Content
8. Foreign News Shrinks In Era of Globalization – David Shaw (Los Angeles
Times)
9. Foreign News-What’s Next? – Michael Parks (Columbia Journalism
Review)
10. Foreign Reporting Enhanced By Parachute Journalism – Emily Erickson
and John Maxwell Hamilton (Newspaper Research Journal)
11. Making The Case For International News – Bruce C. Swaffield (Poynter
Online)

SUBMITTED BY: ABHISHEK TYAGI, B.A JOURNALISM (HONS.), IInd Yr.