| Television network news programs serve as an important source of news about the world for most Americans. While many international news stories receive coverage on network news programs, the vast majority of international events do not. The current study investigates what characteristics make a country newsworthy to American network news programs.; A content analysis of every evening news program of the ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN networks from 1999 reveals a disparity in the amount of coverage that 190 nations from around the world received from the networks. The current study analyzes 190 nations for more than a dozen variables that previous research found to be highly associated with coverage.; The current study used a regression test to create a generalized linear model that identified several key country based variables as highly associated with television network news coverage.; These include instability, distance from the United States, U.S. investment, U.S. aid, religious diversity, military expenditures, and population.; The study provides a review of previous research on the determinants of international news coverage and argues for the inclusion instability, relevance to the United States, cultural affinity, and location in the hierarchy of nations as key variables to be used in future research. |
