The Global News Challenge

Book excerpt: The Global News Challenge tackles one of the timeliest topics in mass communication today—the challenges facing international broadcasters with universal branding strategies in developing countries. In these heavily government-controlled media environments with a scarcity of reliable information, international news providers traditionally had an influential position. With the ongoing media liberalization, however, commercial domestic providers have gained in strength to become strong competitors. Additionally, in a number of countries, pan-Arab broadcasting enterprises have widened their reach, contributing to the growing competition for traditional international providers such as the BBC or France 24. This book employs a global perspective to explore the subject across the whole population and different media platforms in select developing markets of Africa and South Asia. It is unique in providing a theoretical framework by which to analyze demand and usage of and trust in news from international broadcasters across the whole population, not just opinion leaders. It outlines the strategic options for international broadcasters in these evolving market contexts.