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From: partha@ihuxq.UUCP (Partha Raghavachari)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Western news media and the Third World
Message-ID: <522@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Jan-84 13:20:50 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.522
Posted: Sat Jan 21 13:20:50 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 23-Jan-84 04:28:38 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 51


     As a citizen of one of the so called "developing" countries I wish
to share some thought about the way western news media report events in 
third world countries. After a considerable period of exposure to news
reporting here I get the impression that the western press is less than
objective when it comes to reporting events in these countries.

     In particular, I have seen and read more negative reports on TV and
in print than positive about India ( if anything gets reported about
India at all). It is amusing news here if a potential bride in India
refuses to marry because of the fear that her husband would force her
to carry water from far off place in India's desert province. I remember
even my university student newspaper reporting this. Yet, when India
launched a satellite on its own ( I am not talking about the one 
launched recently by the space shuttle ) it was largely ignored by the 
news media. Granted there are immense problems facing developing 
countries, but is it asking too much to get a balanced report? I get
the impression that the western news media is too cynical.

     How many people here know that India has the third largest 
scientific base in the world and is among the ten largest industrial
nations in the world? And the politicians don't seem to help either.
Sometime back, while addressing a nuclear freeze group, Congressman
Edward Markee (sp?) said something to the effect that a nuclear war
in the future is not going to be started by the superpowers but by
smaaller countries.As an example, he cited India dropping a nuclear
bomb on Pakistan! I was more than upset by this remark, to put it
mildly. 

     If a country develops nuclear technology on its own much to the
disliking of the superpowers does it automatically mean that the 
technology is going to be used to drop bombs on other countries and
start a nuclear war? Why is Pakistan seen as a victim? Surely, India
did not start any of the wars with Pakistan. And the political 
situation in Pakistan is anything but normal. Since 1947, there is
yet to be a democratically elected government in Pakistan.

     I have heard many of my american friends tell me how their mothers
used to remind them of starving children in India if they wasted food.
I hope they would also tell them about the positive developments. One
of my colleagues even wondered if life could be possible in India. I am
willing to let it go as a joke.

     My question to the western audience is: How do you react to the 
news media reports on third world countries?

     a) Is the reporting adequate?

     b) Is it biased?

     c) couldn't care less.