Special Edition Spring 2023: Newsworthiness Globally: New START Treaty
Credit: Tagesschau, translated by M Yeager
Have you ever wondered how news content differs globally?
By M Yeager
“Ihr Deutsch ist gut genug!” Your German is good enough, said Dr. Susanne Wagner, associate professor of German at the University of St. Thomas, the day after President Vladmir Putin delivered his presidential address. The topic Wagner was referring to was my class watching and keeping up with German news as a way to connect current events to lessons and to build upon intercultural competence.
Putin’s presidential address announced the suspension of Russia’s involvement in the mutual inspection and verification aspect of New START, a nuclear disarmament treaty between the United States and Russia. This treaty’s goal is to reduce the number of strategic nuclear weapons, such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched missiles (SLBMs) and heavy bombers (HBs) that each country has to create nuclear stability and prevent the risk of a future nuclear war. With Russia’s suspension of involvement, many countries have expressed concern for the possibility of the threat of nuclear war. Without the transparency of mutual verification and inspections, both countries are not aware of what the other is doing in terms of nuclear arms conversion, elimination and change of status.
After watching a section of the Tagesschau, a German news program, which discussed Putin’s presidential address, Wagner challenged the class to ask those around us about their thoughts on the New START treaty and if they had heard of it. I was curious to see what Katies would think about this, so I brought the issue to my home campus.
How does news coverage differ between countries?
News covered by the media depends on where the news company is based out of and what affects the audience that they serve. Local laws and regulations also play a role in coverage.
Latin America and Ecuador
In Latin America, the news deals predominantly with political and economic discrepancies that occur. “There’s a lot of amarillismo [sensationalism] in Mexico and Ecuador,” said Emilia Garrido Vasquez ‘23 (Theater and Dance, Psychology).
One example of this sensationalism is migration: “[Ecuadorian news] covers violence due to migration crossing the US border, which the US does not cover because they don’t lose their citizens due to migration,” said Nataly Serrano Ortiz ‘23 (Communication Studies). “Every month there are new articles on Ecuadorian citizens being murdered in mid journey to the US by cartels in Mexico.”
In addition to local news in Latin American countries, “There is a section that focuses on Europe,” said Dr. Beth Huaman Andia, associate professor of international studies. “because we are a very Eurocentric society.”
Europe: Sweden and Germany
Much of the news in European countries, such as Germany and Sweden, focuses on climate change, migration and wider European topics, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine. “Fresh news right now [in Sweden] is climate collapse, Ukrainian refugees and inflation,” said Dr. Francine Conley, professor of English and French. Sweden has been one of the countries that has welcomed waves of refugees during wars, and as a welfare state democracy, there are worries that the benefits are being exploited. There have been anti-immigration factions that have appeared, and these groups and topics are a large topic of discussion on Swedish news.
Shortly after Putin’s presidential address, German media focused on what the suspension of New START would mean for the country and Europe in general. More recently, the news has covered climate change, climate-friendly legislation and goals, the Russian war in Ukraine and legislation on legal cannabis.
The stark difference between the news in the United States and news in European countries is that there is less news that is biased and is often made to be eye-catching or attention-grabbing. “It’s less sensationalized than in America,” Conley said of the Swedish news. German news media is the same.
New START News Globally
Out of the 10 people I asked about the New START treaty, only two were familiar with it. “We are aware of the updates [in Ukraine and to the New Start Treaty], and what that could mean if further conflict happens,” Andia said. “but it is not covered as much in the war section of the news as much anymore […] It doesn’t affect our everyday lives.” Andia offered the example of the shortage of fertilizer shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which immediately affected people globally.
For those previously unaware of the updates to the New START treaty, many expressed concern for what it could mean for Ukraine. “It seems like yet another escalation of U.S.-Russia tensions that have been building since the start of the War in Ukraine,” said Natalie Nemes ‘24 (English). “It’s definitely worrisome, as Russia seems insistent on conflict.”
Charts showing the yearly amount of nuclear arms for the U.S. and Russia since New START. Credit: data from U.S. Department of State
Others expressed concern for what it means for the United States in the global sphere. “It has me concerned and worried for what the future of this country will be, considering we’re losing a lot of treaties and negotiations with other foreign countries,” Ortiz said.
We are at a difficult and tumultuous time in history, with large acts of aggression and different forms of leadership that lead to tension like this. “I think that we’re at a really precarious point in a lot of ways,” Conley said. She also expressed that the lack of diplomacy and measure that leaders like Putin have is terrifying. “I think those laws [like checks and balances] are in place for a reason: to regulate.” Without those laws and treaties in place that check the power of those in leadership positions, the result could potentially be detrimental.
Reader, here are a few questions I ask you to ponder:
Do you consume news from other countries?
What are your thoughts on Russia’s suspension of their involvement in the New START treaty?
What could this mean for the greater global community?
