Monday, January 18, 2010

The News From Abroad

It's interesting to read the news of the world as the rest of the world sees it. Or, given that English is the only language I can read, as the English-literate world sees it. It's a whole new set of preconceptions, understandings and biases, and it can fill in the gaps in the domestic coverage. But it also allows something of a look in from the outside. Despite claims to the contrary, pretty much every well-known domestic news outlet tends to skew their coverage in favor of the Home Team. This, even if you're ready for it, can give you a crooked understanding of the facts. To be certain, foreign news outlets can't really straighten things out for you, but it does become a handy reminder that things are, in fact, tilted in one direction or another.

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