Patricio Chile's Response To-"Event: American Forum: American Media From a Foreign Perspective"

I also find it interesting and slightly embarrassing that the American news media seems to be less interested in foreign news. The Iraq War has indeed drained our coverage space and time in newspapers and on TV, but news corporations have also become more attached to the business aspect. Sometimes the business interests dictate what gets covered and what doesn’t, based on public sentiment. Thus, the American public also plays a role in what stories they want to hear. I can understand a greater need for coverage on the Iraq War because it is a big event for the US. However, the failure of the war itself has demonstrated how a lack of international knowledge can hurt Americans deeply.
One example raised at the Forum related to ignoring international views is the issue with Al-Jazeera, the Arabic news network which recently launched an English version available on satellite or specialty cable providers in the US. The mainstream broadcast media in the US has refused to air Al-Jazeera programming, fearing controversy from viewers. Al-Jazeera would serve American interests because it is covering the War on Terror and in Iraq. Unfortunately, it is a different perspective on international issues, “dissenting” if you will, and this does not fare well with Americans.