Global news flow

Global news flow (also referred to as international news flow) is a field of study that deals with the news coverage of events in foreign countries. It describes and explains the flow of news from one country to another.^[1]

Studies on global news flow typically attempt to understand why certain countries are more newsworthy than others..^[2][3] Over the years, it has been found that the economic power of countries plays a particularly crucial role in their news prominence^[4] as well as the presence of international news agencies.^[5] Thus, the US is very prominent in news mentions around the world (18%), followed by China, Western European, and Middle Eastern countries (about 3-5% each).^[1]

The unequal representation of the world and the under-representation of developing countries has been a great concern since the 1950s, as they influence the way people perceive the world and the image of countries.^[6] This problem was later addressed in the MacBride report, and his set of recommendations for a New World Information and Communication Order. The unequal representation of the world has also been linked to the World System Theory, and the unequal economic structure of the world.^[7]

A 2014 study, examining 35 popular news websites in ten different languages over a two-year study period, found that "the United States is by far the most prominent country in the news sites that we studied from around the world, except for the French and Arabic ones" and the "network structure of news links clearly exhibits [the U.S.'s] key position as the centerpiece of a global system."^[4]

A 2015 study published in the journal Journalism, examining "validity and limits of the news flow theory," found that "Over-represented regional centers in Western Europe and Asia overshadow the under-represented regional peripheries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East" and that the United States and Africa "serve as a global center and a periphery respectively."^[8]

Definition of Global Cultural Flows

Flows refer to the movement of human behavior and communication. In the context of global culture, flows refer to the spread of information across the globe and how stories evolve as they travel.

Types

• News Flow / Mediascape: The movement of news content across borders via wire services, news agencies, and international journalists.

• Technological Flow (Technoscape): The flow of technology itself. This includes digital networks, computer interconnection, and satellite transmission, which enable faster, richer news dissemination.

• Elite Flow: In “The Foreign News Flow in the Information Age,” Moisy’s notion of a stratified audience suggests a kind of flow that favors elite consumption, meaning news is increasingly consumed by a selective, more-educated, high-interest group.

Methods

• Wire Services: Agencies like Reuters or the Associated Press act as central nodes in distributing news globally. Moisy highlights their enhanced technological capacity.

• Interconnected Newsrooms: Through computer networks, journalists and editors in different bureaus can co-produce stories, making cross-border reporting more collaborative and immediate.

• Digital Transmission: Use of satellite broadcasting, data compression, and multiplexing allows not just text but images and graphics to flow quickly and efficiently.

• Market-Based Distribution: News providers operate in a commercial environment; economic incentives drive what content gets produced and distributed. Moisy talks about both demand and supply in economic terms.

• Audience Segmentation: Because not all consumers are equally interested in global news, news producers may tailor content to more engaged audiences (e.g., elites), which influences how and what is broadcast.

Barriers

• Political Repression / Censorship: In many countries, independent journalism is hindered by repression, limiting how freely news can flow.

• Economic Barriers: Market constraints, lack of funding, or underdeveloped media infrastructure in some regions hamper the establishment and sustainability of global news outlets.

• Audience Disinterest / Polarization: If only a small, elite segment cares about foreign news, this reduces the effective flow of information to a broad public, reinforcing inequality in cultural/informational access

Implications

• Power & Inequality: Even with better technology, who controls—and who can access—global news is not democratic. This can reinforce global inequalities in knowledge and power.

• Soft Power: Countries or institutions that control news production can wield “soft power” by shaping global narratives.

• Cultural Homogenization vs. Diversity: While technological capacities might support a global “village,” Moisy warns that supply doesn’t guarantee broad consumption: the global flow of news could be limited to elites, potentially reducing diverse perspectives.

• Policy & Diplomacy: Understanding these flows is relevant for foreign policy, public diplomacy, and international relations more broadly.

See also

• Media imperialism
• World news
• International communication
• New World Information and Communication Order
• MacBride report