Abstract
A list of factors influencing the flow of the news is presented and discussed. References are given to other literature in the field, but the factors which are taken up in this article are mainly those which impair the news flow and distort the news picture as it is finally presented by the news media. It is claimed that this is necessary in order to see how the news media can influence the working of the international community. One set of factors, partly of a political and partly of an economic nature, are defined as being foreign to the news process. Other factors, defined as being inherent in the news process, are presented under four headings: simplification, identification, sensationalism, and the news barrier. On this basis some general hypotheses concerning effects of the news media are suggested, and possibilities for further research so as to be able to mini mize such effects are emphasized.
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