How International are the global Mags?
The
three global magazines Time, Newsweek and US News and World Report, magazines
are available in the developing world as widely as any of the more “local”
periodicals. Indeed, despite the costs (each of these issues costs more
than eight times the price of lets say, India Today or Outlook magazines
in India), I have, like many of my friends, grabbed the copies to have
perspectives on the actual global news. No wonder we have equated the
Americas and their concern as the only globe worth reporting about. Nothing
significant has changed even after the global tragedy of September 11.
A bird’s eye view:
Although the divisions are made of the magazines for convenience, the
similarities are glaring. There is no coverage of Africa, Asia or Australia.
And there is no coverage of areas and peoples of the world that are not
affecting the US at this time.
Newsweek:
There is clearly not much international coverage. Where there
is coverage, it is a) vis-à-vis American stand, b) Communism’s
influence. Europe is the center of international coverage: The NATO to
be precise.
Hence the action is where the US was, is and will be. Communism haunts
and so does American interventionist policies. Coverage including but
not limited to were “The Vatican: Peeking Into the Past--Newly-discovered
documents reveal a jealous cleric's attempts to sell out the pope during
Communism”. Second story Fareed Zakaria’s column on where
Bush went Right as the main World Report of Newsweek: Because it potentially
could change the world! Lastly, “An Arabian Spring--Democracy: Many
Arabs are fed up, and want their freedom. Can people power prevail?”
US
News & World Report:
Makes no qualms about “Nation & World” as the
section. So of course everything is connected to the American nation at
large.
Stories are juxtaposed in way to give meaning to this context and they
include, for example in the March 14 issue are:
Lebanon: Protesters speak out, Fouad Ajami: Bush's pursuit of freedom,
Social Security: The president hits the road, Democrats: On the offensive,
Airport security: Is technology the key?, Perimeter security: Defending
airports, Gloria Borger: The return of Martha Stewart, Soldiers: When
banter beats bullets, Bush: His so-called Euro friends, Mitch Daniels:
Hysteria over taxes, Social insecurity: Voters ask questions, L.A. election:
A limited engagement, Afghanistan: Maj. Gen. Eric T. Olson
On a closer look, there is not a single article which exclusively is devoted
to international coverage that’s not devoid of American imprint.
Time:
There is a separate section for the World news. On March 7 issue
a mere 2 page global coverage and its about the American interest in Iraq.
On its February 28 issue, it was on Iraq too—and the “secret
dialogue” between the US and insurgents in Iraq. The second global
story was again, “The trouble with Syria—An assassination
in Lebanon focuses US attention on Damascus”. On its February 21
issue, the focus is on how Palestinian leader “impresses US”
by reaching truce with Israel. Of course Communism ghost not to be left
out, the issue also has North Korea story with a one-page Bush picture
alongside cover story of the analysis.
There is no trace of exclusive world coverage, not to stress that any
country today can function without active support of the American political
will. But at the same time, one wonders if this is a projection of a perception
across mainstream media that tries to make it inevitable? World’s
indigenous cultures, the peoples’ ways of living, their unique local
self governances are just few of the finer aspects conspicuously absent.
An acceptance that peoples in different parts of the world legitimately
live lives without an imposed ideal of what is proper for them as determined
by the Western lens is a divergent thought process lacking in the magazines
which are actually reaching the global audiences. In a way, through these
magazines, the hegemony of the normative, persists and flourishes.
Saswat
Pattanayak
blog@saswat.com