Pondering the Future for Foreign News on National Television

Abstract

This article discusses the ways television news media reinforce national perspectives in coverage of events outside their borders, and the potential consequences of this for mainstream television news. International news, as it is seen on national television, is still a rigid genre where people and events tend to be viewed either through national prisms or through generic characteristics common in hegemonic Anglo-American news sources. Globalization, in terms of the concentration of media ownership, and changing television formats have done remarkably little to change agendas and narratives in national television news. Shifting geopolitical realities, the accessibility of different news sources, and the self-reflexivity of journalists due to changing industry demands should make more of an impact on international news narratives. Some studies point to the existence of narratives portraying other types of relationships than the national “we” and the foreign “other,” but systematic studies are needed to see whether such stories have increased over time.