International news flow theory

The International News Flow Theory (INFT) is a concept in international communication that describes the flow of news across national borders. It was first proposed by Daniel Lerner in 1958 and has since been widely used to understand the global news landscape.

According to INFT, news flows from the center of the global news system (typically the United States or Western Europe) to the periphery, with the flow being influenced by factors such as:

  1. Distance: News is more likely to flow from a source to a destination that is closer in distance.
  2. Language: News is more likely to flow from a source to a destination that shares a common language.
  3. Cultural similarity: News is more likely to flow from a source to a destination that shares cultural similarities.
  4. Economic ties: News is more likely to flow from a source to a destination that has strong economic ties.
  5. Power and influence: News is more likely to flow from a source that has significant power and influence in the global system.

The INFT suggests that news flows from the center to the periphery in a hierarchical manner, with the center countries (typically the United States, Western Europe, and Japan) serving as the primary sources of news and the periphery countries (typically developing countries) serving as the recipients of news.

The theory has been criticized for its limitations, including:

  1. Oversimplification: The theory oversimplifies the complex processes involved in the flow of news across borders.
  2. Lack of consideration of alternative sources: The theory assumes that news flows primarily from the center to the periphery, without considering alternative sources of news, such as local or regional sources.
  3. Neglect of the role of technology: The theory does not fully account for the impact of technological advancements, such as the internet and social media, on the flow of news.

Despite these limitations, the INFT remains a useful framework for understanding the global news landscape and the factors that influence the flow of news across borders.