Counter-Hegemonic News

"Essential reading for anyone interested in the worldwide revolution in news provision and content." 

           - Nigel Chapman, Director, BBC World Service

This decade has seen the rapid growth of 24-hour television news channels, many with global reach. Some of these aspire to challenge the 'hegemonic' power of the BBC and CNN - charged with propagating a Western viewpoint, masked by claims of impartiality. The debate on impartiality, and on the supposed tyranny of a global narrative controlled by Western broadcasters, is one of the most hotly contested in international journalism today.

In this pioneering study, James Painter examines two major and controversial new channels - the world network which is Al Jazeera English and Venezuela’s Telesur. Do they succeed in offering a 'counter-hegemonic' perspective on world news? In what ways is their output different from, and better or worse than, that of the leading Western broadcasters?

A hard copy of this publication can be purchased from the University of Oxford Online Store or Amazon.