1. News broadcasting has not been globalised but Americanized
By: Yusuf Kurniawan
A. Introduction
The phenomenon of the ‘shrinking world’ is now becoming more and more
apparent. Something happened in a very remote place now can be covered and
reported through various mass media at the same time or just after the happening.
So, merely in a matter of hours after an occurrence they can watch and listen to the
news from the comfort of their own homes through televisions. It is just one of
many phenomena of globalization that has been taking place in the entire world. The
globalization of news is mostly due to the emergence of satellite technology that have
played a central and defining role. The intensification of news broadcasting speeds
up tremendously along with the new inventions in broadcasting technology.
Moreover, the mushrooming global news corporations has fuelled the flows of news
more swiftly to all over the world. The emergence of media moguls such as Ted
Turner with CNN, Rupert Murdoch with his News Corporation, Silvio Berlusconi
and Henry Luce with the Warner Brothers have created corporate structures that
span across continents. Even they handle print and film production and also control
distribution facilities like satellites and cable networks. 1 The rise of global media that
led to global news was empowered by transnational corporation (TNC). It is pointed
out by Herman and McChesney that “The crucial change for global capitalism, which
laid the groundwork for the rise of global media, was the emergence and ascension of
the transnational corporation (TNC).” 2
In addition, the news globalization proliferates since there is continuous effort
of deregulation on international news broadcasting, and bilateral and multilateral
agreements between/amongst countries to eliminate legal barriers to cross-border
transactions. This has opened up opportunities for countries around the world to do
Sreberny-Mohammadi, Annabelle (1997) ‘The Global and the Local in International
1
Communications’ in Curran, James and Gurevitch, Michael, eds, Mass Media and Society, Arnold,
London, p.183.
2 Herman, Edward S. and McChesney, Robery W. (1997), The Global Media: the new missionaries of
corporate capitalism, Cassell, London, p. 13.

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more cross-border investment, trade and advertising. 3 However, there seems to be a
phenomenon that news broadcasting today has not been globalized.
B. Analysis
In this essay I would investigate the phenomena of news that tends to be
Americanized. And the main medium of news broadcasting that I will mostly discuss is
television. It is based on the notion that television is the most dominant news
medium that people rely on. And its appeal to audience is still unbeaten by any other
mass medium, including the internet. Here I will discuss news production and news
distribution respectively to give introduction to the news globalization.
News, global news and news production
First of all, it is necessary to know the dominant definition of news. According to a
study that was conducted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) ‘News in most media systems seems to be defined as the
exceptional event, making coups and catastrophes newsworthy wherever they
occur.’ 4 News is something that can not be separated from media. It is the most
significant and integral part of any mass medium; the one that mass media ‘sell’ to
audience. It is more often than not that news is deliberately produced in certain ways
by media firms to make money and gain popularity of the medium. Such
commodification of news has become very common amongst media industries. It is
sometimes also triggered by certain occasions or events in which audience want to
watch and listen to the news. For examples during the gulf war (1991-1992) in which
news related to the war was expensive commodity. And millions of people around
the world kept on watching the news. Again, when the opening ceremony of the
Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney was taking place, it was estimated that more than
three billion people watched it. 5 Such occasions/events can be commodified and sold
to audience. They are just a few of many examples of big events that can attract
Herman, Edward S. and McChesney, Robery W. (1997), The Global Media: the new missionaries of
3
corporate capitalism, Cassell, London, p. 41.
4 Alleyne, Mark D. (1997), News Revolution: Political and Economic Decisions about Global Information,
MacMillan, London, p. 3.
5 Lecture notes on Dynamics of International Broadcasting seminar 9:’Global television and sport.

3. 3
attention of many audience. And within such occasions news turns to be a very
expensive commodity. It is one of the aspects of economic value of international
news. With the two examples I mentioned it proves that audience do not solely
watch ‘political’ or ‘serious’ news, but they also pay their attention to ‘entertaining’
news, or news for pleasure. It is argued by Boyd-Barret and Rantanen that “‘News’
represented the reformulation of ‘information’ as a commodity gathered and
distributed for the three purposes of political communication, trade and pleasure..” 6
News has become an expensive commodity that is competed by media firms in
broadcasting it.
Along with the changes mentioned previously, media industries, especially news
corporations, have become very important vehicles in delivering news to audiences.
Accessibility and availability are the key points in news globalization. Because
globalization of news is measured among other things with these two key points.
Accessibility relates with whether news are easily accessed or not by audiences. The
phenomenon today audience still have to provide certain equipment in order to be
able to access news television network like CNN, BBC World, ABC etc.. And indeed
they have to pay for it, both for providing the devices and for the subscription with
the satellite provider. So that only limited level of society who are capable of
receiving these news channels.
Availability also determines the requirement of global news. News that has been
considered global should be available for audience anytime and anywhere. CNN
seems to be the most dominant example, since this Ted Turner’s global news
network has planted its claws deeply in six continents, in some 210 countries with
more than 120 communication satellites. 7 And one more thing that is also very
important is universality. It is measured among other things with the language used
in the news broadcasting. Cultural discount such as language, often makes audience
difficult to comprehend a programme. 8
Boyd-Barrett, Oliver and Rantanen, Terhi, (eds) (1998), The Globalization of News, Sage Publications
6
Ltd, London, p.1.
7 Parker, Richard (1995), Mixed Signals: The Prospects for Global Television News, The Twentieth Century
Fund Press, New York, p.5. See also Flournoy (1997), p.6.
8 Hoskins, C. and Mirus, R (1988) ‘Reasons for the U.S. Dominance of the International Trade in
Television Programmes’, Media, Culture and Society, vol. 10, no.4.

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In terms of news quantity and quality, the more precise word to depict news
‘globalization’ today is ‘uneven globalization’. Because there is uneven flow of news
and information between the North and the South (countries). It is confirmed by
Alleyne that the news flow between regions varies quantitatively and qualitatively. 9 The
quantity of the news flows from the richer countries of the North to the South
surpassed the news quantity that is coming from other direction. Moreover, the
quality of news from the South is also still lower than that of from the other way
round. It is realistic since all the big international news organizations are based in the
North. 10 Therefore, for example, news from Africa to the Caribbean frequently
comes via London or New York. 11 This issue had been the major concern of the
developing countries that was raised by the agency of UNESCO and expressed by
the McBride Commisions’s final report (1980). 12 It is argued that there is “‘one-way
virtual flow of news from the northern ‘centre’ to the southern ‘periphery’”. It means
that the news flow is selected and controlled by western transnational corporations
that made news as a commodity that is bought and sold. 13
Global news is usually signified by certain live broadcast that attracts more
audience’s attention since the news coverage is sometimes done under hazardous
situation. For instances the students demonstration at Tiananmen Square and the
coverage from the warhead cameras of the cruising missiles during the Gulf War. 14
News distribution
The news globalization is heavily dependent upon the news distributors. In this case
the roles of global news agencies such as US Associated Press (AP), French national
agency (AFP), British national agency (Reuters) and German national agency (DPA)
was very significant. These were early global news retailers that supplied news to
news corporations to all over the world. According to Oliver Boyd-Barrett, the global
Alleyne, Mark D. (1997), News Revolution: Political and Economic Decisions about Global Information,
9
MacMillan, London, p. 13.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
12 Barker, Chris (2000), Global Television: An Introduction, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, p.101.
13 Ibid.
14 Parker, Richard (1995), Mixed Signals: The Prospects for Global Television News, The Twentieth Century
Fund Press, New York, p.4. See also Alleyne (1997), p.9.

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news agencies are ‘organizations whose main raison d’etre is to gather and to sell news
throughout the world for the benefit of ‘retail’ media (newspaper, broadcasters, on-
line suppliers) and other outlets (business, finance institutions, governments, private
individuals).’ 15 This relationship can be seen for example in news-gathering by the
international agencies. 16 In relation to this Boyd-Barrett and Rantanen argue for it
that news agencies have become the major players in the processes of globalization. 17
The major global news agencies of the 1990s that are considered to be the major
players of news globalization are Agence France-Presse, Associated Press and
Reuters. 18 These news agencies and others have been the mediators of news
globalization in terms of that they supply news to TV news network Their existence
is very important, so that the collaboration between news agencies and television
news network can be considered mutual. On one side news television news networks
need news that sometimes could be covered by themselves, on the other side news
agencies also need news media enterprise to sell the news they have covered. In this
case, CNN is one of the biggest suppliers of international news. 19
Globalized or Americanized?
The notion that news has been ‘Americanized’ rather than ‘globalized’ is quite
sensible since there are some phenomena that lead to it. First of all, the emergence of
CNN International in 1985 20 as a twenty-four-hour America’s News Channel has
created a new challenge for world-wide media companies such as the BBC World
Service. Moreover, within the United States itself CNN emerged as major competitor
of the former dominant “Big Three” commercial networks, namely the American
Broadcasting Company (ABC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), and the
Boyd-Barrett, Oliver (1998), ‘’Global’ News Agencies’ in Boyd-Barrett, Oliver & Rantanen, Terhi,
15
(eds), The Globalization of News, Sage Publications Ltd, London, p.19.
16 Ginneken, Jaap van (1997), Understanding Global News: A Critical Introduction, Sage Publications,
London, p.44.
17 Boyd-Barrett, Oliver and Rantanen, Terhi, (eds) (1998), The Globalization of News, Sage Publications
Ltd, London, p.2.
18 Boyd-Barrett, Oliver (1998), ‘’Global’ News Agencies’ in Boyd-Barrett, Oliver & Rantanen, Terhi,
(eds), The Globalization of News, Sage Publications Ltd, London, p.19.
19 Barker, Chris (2000), Global Television: An Introduction, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, p.102.
20 Flournoy, Don M. & Stewart, Robert K. (1997), CNN: Making News in the Global Market, University
of Luton Press, Luton, p.3.

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National Broadcasting Company (NBC). 21 This Ted Turner’s corporation underwent
a very rapid development since its emergence in 1980 until it became interactive
channel in 1995. 22 Before the emergence of CNN as the global news network that
now operates in more that 200 countries 23, international news mainly circulated
through ‘transnational news agencies and government-owned short-wave radio
stations.’ 24 So that it enabled governments and domestic media organizations to
censor, edit or control the flows of news into their countries or regions. As a result,
the news received by audience sometimes has been manipulated. Even occasionally
there are some news that is totally censored by government solely for the sake of
government’s policy. It is supported by Barker that western news agencies is
significant because they supply ‘spot news’ and visual reports that are often without
commentary. 25 However, with global news broadcasting, it would be difficult to
control the global news flow. This is probably the distinction between satellite
broadcasting and cable TV. As long as audience have the facilities such as parabolic
dish and satellite receiver, then they will be able to receive transmission from direct
broadcast satellites (DBSs). 26 At the same time, it also proves that with the
emergence of satellite broadcasting, national boundaries between regions and
countries do not obstruct the news flows any more.
In my opinion the unbalanced news flow between the North and the South is
actually something that could be taken for granted. First, because North (western
countries) were mostly imperialists of the South (Eastern countries). So, it has
become like a tradition of the western countries to control everything over the
Eastern countries, including the news flow. Notably satellite technology has been
controlled and governed by western countries, notably the US and Britain. It is
pointed out by Barker that ‘from the beginning, satellite technology has been
Emmert, Fredric A. ‘U.S. Media in the 1990s’, available at
21
http://useinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/media/media1cd.htm.
22 Flournoy, Don M. & Stewart, Robert K. (1997), CNN: Making News in the Global Market, University
of Luton Press, Luton, p.3.
23 Parker, Richard (1995), Mixed Signals: The Prospects for Global Television News, The Twentieth Century
Fund Press, New York, p.5.
24 Alleyne, Mark D. (1997), News Revolution: Political and Economic Decisions about Global Information,
MacMillan, London, p.5.
25 Barker, Chris (2000), Global Television: An Introduction, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, p.102.

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dominated by the USA. INTELSAT, the international satellite governing body, was
set up and controlled by the Americans even though at a later date other western
powers were to become influential partners.’ 27 The western major global news
broadcasters mentioned are CNN International and the BBC World Television. At
any cost the dominance and significance of CNN as the major news channel is still
unbeaten by others. It inevitably raise an issue that news broadcasting tends to be
Americanised.
Aside from whether or not CNN has been objective and neutral in reporting
the news, this cable news network has grown to become a giant that clutches its
claws deeply in six continents, in some 210 countries with more than 120
communication satellites. 28 Seen from the number of countries could be reached by
CNN, it proves that CNN is the single network that is capable of blanketing the
globe with its broadcasting. Moreover, from the point of view of technology, even
though CNN is still much younger compared to its predecessors, it has more
advanced equipment compared to other networks like CBS, NBC and BBC.
Accordingly, it will also influence the quality of the broadcasting. Say for instance,
the news about earthquake in Kobe (Japan) that is just reported in words by phone (a
correspondent reports live from abroad by phone through television) without being
accompanied by pictures will be less attractive to audience compared to the news
report that is shown with pictures and sound or relayed live from the venue. In short
the quality of news flows is determined by how news is covered. 29
In accordance with the perspective of news broadcast by CNN, in general we
will think that the news must be always U.S oriented. It is quite obvious that first,
CNN is the largest network and it has the largest audience in the world. Second,
being an American based corporation an indication and notion of being American
oriented could not be avoided. Even though it is argued by CNN Senior Vice
President Eason Jordan in an interview in August 1996 that basically CNN avoids to
Alleyne, Mark D. (1997), News Revolution: Political and Economic Decisions about Global Information,
26
MacMillan, London, p.9.
27 Barker, Chris (2000), Global Television: An Introduction, Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, p.52.
28 Parker, Richard (1995), Mixed Signals: The Prospects for Global Television News, The Twentieth Century
Fund Press, New York, p.5. See also Flournoy (1997), p.6.
29 Alleyne, Mark D. (1997), News Revolution: Political and Economic Decisions about Global Information,
MacMillan, London, p.13.

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be called being Americanized. He adds that to insure that news coverage is not limited
to an American view, CNN hires non-U.S. citizens to staff the desk. 30
During the Gulf War the significance of CNN global expansion to the entire
world became most evident. 31 It is supported by James Larson’s finding in his
research that instead of other television news network, Iragi, Israeli, Libyan,
American and Saudi Arabian officials during the Gulf War all used CNN as a
medium of political communication. 32
C. Conclusion
Based on my discussion above, there are some conclusions could be drawn. Firstly,
the news globalization can not be separated from the role of global news agencies as
international news supplier, even though later many broadcasters also play their own
role as global news supplier besides as news broadcasters. Secondly, the news flow
in the world up to this moment is felt not ‘globalized’. It is because the western
dominance in global news broadcasting is very strong, notably from the US (CNN
especially). There is no doubt that the US is the major player of global media
corporations. CNN’s dominance in the global market was actually challenged by the
emergence of other television network such BBC World Television and News
Corporation that are also global news networks, but still CNN is proven to be more
significant than other news networks.
Flournoy, Don M. & Stewart, Robert K. (1997), CNN: Making News in the Global Market, University
30
of Luton Press, Luton, p.10.
31 Flournoy, Don M. & Stewart, Robert K. (1997), CNN: Making News in the Global Market, University
of Luton Press, Luton, p.6.
32 Alleyne, Mark D. (1997), News Revolution: Political and Economic Decisions about Global Information,
MacMillan, London, p.11.