Viewing the World: a Study of British Television Coverage of Developing Countries

What kinds of images and ideas from around the world are British viewers being offered? What impact are they having on the viewers? And how do television decision-makers approach the global content on their channels?

This paper reports the findings of research aimed at answering these questions. In 1999, the Glasgow Media Group conducted 3 distinct studies, focusing on television programming in the United Kingdom (UK) about the developing world. Among the motivations for this research was the observation of several recent trends; for instance, "as internet, broadband and multichannel services transform viewing practices into a far more personalised and market-led activity, the question of maintaining programme content quality and diversity will arguably become all the more pressing." Furthermore, "quantitative research shows that, apart from news output, there is substantially less international factual programming on British television screens now than there was 10 years ago."

Specifically, the 3 studies included:

1. A content study, which analysed news and feature programme output over a 3-month period
   Key findings: There is a marked imbalance in the way developing countries are portrayed, especially on news where coverage was generally limited to disasters, bizarre events, or visits by prominent westerners.
2. An audience study, which looked at viewers' responses to this programming
   Key findings: About 25% of the sample had no interest in development issues, while around 10% claimed an active interest. Television is a strong source of beliefs and impressions about the developing world. Viewers generally perceived the developing world in a negative way, blaming this on television images. The study identified a serious problem with audience understanding of development issues, especially on news programmes.
3. A production study, which examined the broadcasters' approach to their international output.
   Key findings: Television policy-makers were found to recognise the importance of television's role in informing people about the world. But most (28 out of 38) did not believe that viewers want to watch programmes about the developing, so this output has come to be regarded as a ratings risk.

Reflecting on this research, the authors highlight the new opportunity that is present for bringing a global perspective into UK television coverage. The research points to programme formats and genres that have both attracted and informed their audiences, such as output that is: integrated into mainstream television, timely, unpredictable, engaging, and strongly promoted. In short, the report highlights the fact that "Television has long claimed to be a window on the world, and the world has never been more accessible or interrelated. One interviewee senses that people have turned inward because they cannot cope with the scale of global change. This could perhaps be a pivotal time for television to throw light on the changes in new and arresting ways."