All Countries Not Created Equal to Be News

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the world system perspective, the purpose of this article is twofold: (a) to propose a new conceptual approach identifying the determinants that may affect the structure and process of foreign and international news flow and coverage in the global setting, and (b) within this framework, to determine the content (what is covered) and form (how it is covered) of Reuters' coverage of a major world event for a better understanding of why countries become news the way they do. This study argues that all countries are not created equal to be news in international communication. For those countries in the core zone of the world system, their chances of being in the news are higher than those in the semiperipheral and peripheral strata. Nations in the other two zones will have to go through several filters before they make it to the news.