Survey on Media and Global Divide

Please allow me to introduce myself.

 

I am Sweta, an IIMC alumnae, working as a Lecturer in New Delhi. I teach television journalism. As a part of a research, I am collecting information for a poster presentation on the issue of 'Media and Global Divide'.

 

In this process I am conducting a simple survey (10 questions) of media academicians, practitioners and policy makers to understand the purpose and pattern of international news.

 

I would really appreciate if you could  take out a few minutes from your busy schedule to respond to the questionnaire (link below) by clicking on the options. It should not take more than 10-15 mins. But it will be a great help for me. Those who may have already responded can ignore this mail.
 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=0loRNGenzgbQ5_2bdMRkwR6w_3d_3d
 

The abstract of the paper is pasted at the bottom:
Shall eagerly wait for your response.
 

Thanks
Sweta Singh

swetasingh2000@gmail.com
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Abstract:
 
The paper analyses international news content disseminated by Indian News channels and its perception by the foreign policy makers, academicians and journalists in this era of globalisation. A sustained observation of the news content shows that the five main news agencies of the world continue to dominate news flow contents to these news channels. This hegemony contributes to the global divide in media.

Increase in international news content through multiple round the clock television news channels in India does not reflect diversity in content but only multiplies the limited perception of the world strengthening the North-South divide against the objectives of the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO).
 

Many Voices One World, a report by the International Commission for the study of communication problems highlighted that the Third World Countries suffered from colonial hangover and due to historical reasons the flow of information and communication suited the interests of a few dominant countries of the world.
 

India led the third world nations to form the non-aligned news agencies pool (NANAP) with the primary objective of creating and disseminating information content that was critical for the development of these countries.
 

The fast changing media landscape in India with over 300 television channels and over a hundred news channels is witness to globalisation of information. In these circumstances the importance of television news is fundamental as it is the window to the world for most Indians. It creates the picture that we carry in our minds. If news is anything presented by the news medium then there is a need for a systematic understanding of what makes news, why and for whom?
 

While satellite and digital communication systems allow all possibilities to all countries in exchanging information, a sustained observation shows that   this has not been possible and the conventional patterns of news flow still exist. The five major news agencies of the world continue to take editorial stand for most of the international content that flows through these television news channels to reach the masses.  What is disturbing is the silence over the 'other' perspective.
 

Surveys, panel and focus group discussions are used along with analysis of the international news content of India's three national news channels which get posted on their online websites. A weeks prime time news content is studied to establish the imbalance in the coverage and treatment of international news.