Global mediations: On the changing ecology of satellite television news

C1 - Journal Articles RefereedThe last few years have witnessed an explosion in the number of 24/7 satellite news channels around the globe. Some theorists have heralded the arrival of 24/7 news delivery systems and channels as definitive of processes of globalization and foundational in the creation of a ‘global public sphere’. Others view them as simply the latest expansion of Western-led corporate interests and vehicles of cultural imperialism, propagating news flows from the West to the rest. This article contributes up-to-date empirical findings and arguments that variously support and problematize aspects of both these overarching theoretical positions and debates and does so by systematically mapping for the first time all 24/7 news channels broadcast in the world today. Our findings reveal a field characterized by complex stratifications, formations and flows that prompt the need for refined conceptualization and theorization