Published: July 23, 1999
Last Updated: December 29, 1999
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America's newspapers have good reasons to focus on local coverage, but the internationalization of business, science, government, etc. has broadened the definition of "local" and knocked down some of the walls between home, country and world.  The world is increasingly interdependent in areas such as the economy and jobs, the environment, crime and drug trafficking, public health and immigration. International travel, the growth of student and professional exchanges abroad and the ease of communicating inexpensively have enhanced the public's interest in international news.    "You owe it to your readers to present a comprehensive picture of the world as it is today." -John Adkins, deputy foreigh editor, Chicago Tribune With the growth of immigrant communities, world news matters more to American readers, and opens up new opportunities for diversifying newspaper markets. International events generate many interesting stories, including those with local and regional angles. America is a global leader. For the country to be engaged in the world, Washington needs a public that understands the issues. Especially in times of war, disaster and economic upheaval, a democracy's foreign policy is dependent upon public support. The media can provide an early warning system for crises that affect this country, and play a vital corrective role in countering misinformation.   In one significant respect, national and international news are a newspaper's best bargain. The cost of a worldwide wire service or news syndicate is often no more expensive for a small paper than the cost of one staffer assigned to City Hall.   A story to check out: Investment consortia formed by local doctors, dentists and lawyers to put their money to work in venture projects abroad, particularly in Latin America and Central Europe. Sometimes the investors also practice medicine or law over there on their vacations.