The Rise of 24-Hour News Television: Global Perspectives. Stephen Cush-ion and Justin Lewis, eds. New York, NY: Peter Lang, 2010. 350 pp.
Well before arrival of the Internet, 24/7 news from satellite and cable television services transformed public perception of what news is. Starting with CNN in mid-1980, no longer did we have to await evening television newscasts or the morning paper—we could see and hear about breaking news just as it happened. Now taken for granted by a new generation, many of us still remember the wonder of obtaining what James Curran calls “disposable news” at any hour of the day—or night.
This anthology of seventeen essays examines the first two decades of twenty-four-hour news from a variety of viewpoints and countries, assessing both its content and its impact.
Part 1, “History and Context of 24-hour Television News,” surveys how it has developed, maps the current landscape of satellite television news, and reviews the role of rapid news in consumer culture and built-in obsolescence. Part 2, “Towards an Increasingly Live, Breaking News Service,” focuses upon the live nature of news reporting, the race to be Britain’s most-watched news channel, the challenge of live reporting in America, 24/7 sports news coverage, and speed and competition as challenges to journalism ethics.
Part 3, “Competing for Regional Influence and Audiences,” turns to several different parts of the world: the changing face of Arab news media, 24/7 news in Latin America, a case study of Al-Jazeera coverage of Gaza, and 24-hour news in Australia. And Part 4, “National Agendas and Editorial Strategies,” concludes with papers on problems with “France 24,” the odd role of 24-hour news in tightly-controlled China, the shrinking news agenda in Germany, and satellites and live reporting—and their impact—in India.
Both editors teach at the Cardiff School of Journalism in Wales. Their approach and that of their contributors varies between generally positive to near-despair about what is happening to the news menu for most people in the world. Technology isn’t the only “cause” of such change, but these papers go a long way to suggesting it is, indeed, a major factor.
CHRISTOPHER H. STERLING
George Washington University