ARTICLE ABSTRACT: NEWS CONSULTANCY & COMMERCIALISM
Allen, C. (2000). Sold American: US news consultants and news issues abroad. In Andersen, R., & Strate, L. (Eds.). Critical studies in media commercialism. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 84-100.
Problem/Issue Addressed in the Article
Essentially, this article addressed two related issues. The first issue is the growing role of news consultants in the preparation and delivery of television news in the United States. The second issue is the export of this phenomenon, together with its American players, from the United States to foreign countries.
While the actions of news consultants are a focus of the article at one level, there is a deeper and more important level of study involved. The question in this deeper context is the appropriateness of using marketing research to tailor new presentations to the interests of the least informed (but largest component) of the population, as opposed to determining the content of news presentations on the basis of informed and thoughtful considerations by professional journalists and editors. While this deeper question applies to both the United States and foreign countries, there is an added dimension to the issue in foreign countries รน the appropriateness of superimposing an American culture of commercialism on other societies.
The author employed a case study methodology to the investigation of the issues. The case study framework included examinations of the issues in (a) the United States and (b) four European countries.
The author found that the role of American-based news consultancy is pervasive in both the United States and in foreign countries. The author also found that both news consultants and the media outlets that use them make no pretenses in relation to (a) improved news content or (b) public service. Rather, the entire motivation is inc
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