Seeking Cultural Relevance

Abstract

This study identifies the prevalence of culturally oriented writing techniques found in international news coverage of major American newspapers, through a concept explication and content analysis. These techniques, which I call “culture peg” and “culture link,” are content and thematic choices in international coverage that journalists make to enhance the material's appeal to their home audience. They are, in essence, cultural meaning-making processes that render foreign stories relevant to the home audience which might not otherwise be interested in international news. A content analysis revealed that these cultural strategies, deployed in both text and photographs, were employed in 72 percent of international news articles in the New York Times. Excessive use of such methods might skew the understanding of foreign cultures/societies for the readership. Theoretical and methodological implications of the study are discussed.