Comparative Analysis of Foreign and Local News Agencies: Public Relations Approach in Restoring the Image of the Local Media for National Development

Abstract

This paper focused on the wide gap between the international news agencies and their local counterparts, while considering Public Relations as a bridge to harmonize them. News agencies are organizations that deal in the collection, transmission, and distribution of news to newspapers, periodicals, television stations, radio and other forms of mass media. Present-day news agencies and associations vary in form and content. For instance, the international news agencies operate as worldwide news-reporting services, providing general news coverage, while local news agencies provide national and/or regional coverage of routine or special news. Still others offer specialized services, such as reporting news of particular interest to persons of specific religion or profession. The paper then concluded that foreign news media have been commended for being one of the major catalysts for national development, owing to (their) ability to spread information extensively and quickly. However, they are still being criticized for double standard. On the whole, the powers to propagate both the good and evil agenda reside with the media. This paper recommended that the local news media should adhere to the ethics of their professions, one of which is the inclusion of more of the local contents in their packages; that is a 60-40 local-foreign programme ratio, as recommended by the National Broadcasting Commission, Ojebode [2004:46].

Keywords: News, News Agency, Gate keeping and Selection Media Theory, Social Responsibility Media Theory