“Tonight on World News: The United States.”

           It seems as though while I was away in South Africa for over two months, I watched little to no news about South Africa. In fact, I was glued to Al Jazeera for the better part of my nightly downtime. From the very start I picked up on the truth that South Africans, and I suspect the majority of African citizens, watch more international news programs than their own native offerings. This may be due to the actual lack of telecommunications infrastructure, but nonetheless. The point I am trying to make is that the typical American watches or reads far less international news than, say, what’s happening in the lives of Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton, or whether the Phils are close to breaking even this season. The fault isn’t necessarily with the American media consumer, but the media.

           Often called the 4th branch of the US government, the media plays a larger role in our lives than we all seem to think. Now that I’m back in the States, I have become increasingly aware of this imperfection of our system. Aside from “The Global War on Terror,” infinitely ridiculed overseas as American arrogance in clear sight, I can’t really remember the last time I watched international news or knew about what was transpiring in Zimbabwe, once considered the bread-basket of Africa, now in complete and utter collapse.

          Most times it seems, the media elite broadcast or publish only news with American social or economic relevance. After all, I guess, it really comes down to making money, and boy do 2-minute adverts bring in revenue; and then there is the Super Bowl. Could this dependence, better yet, slavery for consumer-driven advertisements (as primary source of income) be an inadvertent pitfall in what news Americans are exposed to, the source of our overly pretentious attitude while abroad? Maybe it is the result of decades of American self-centeredness and hubris about politics, economics, and social studies. Maybe it’s what makes us American.

          I was able to keep in contact with a number of people while I was away, and never failed to take the opportunity to interrogate them on what was really happening in the world, not the United States. Each attempt proved disappointing, although not to my surprise. This is where I tend to believe that the dominance of American media giants, sole proprietors for creating a lack of international media exposure, enter the picture. I mean, who couldn’t possibly know about what is occurring in Gaza, Islamabad, or Papua New Guinea? What about the torrential flooding in southern London? For the sake of redundancy I won’t even mention the crisis in the Sudan, or better yet the brigades of child soldiers forming the foundation of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda.

         Once again, however, when CNN or NBC only air news programs centered on American breaking news or current trends, the typical American has no access, or even the slightest opportunity to diversify his/her intake. This is, of course, unless the typical American decides to venture on international media websites, when even there the news is sparse and americanized.

          Most importantly, what needs to be considered is that there are actually (take a deep breath) ground-breaking events happening every minute outside the United States. I get the disheartening feeling that more times than naught, the typical American cares only for what transpires in the US and some, alas, what happens in Pennsylvania. Folks, like it or not, we live in a global society nowadays. If that is too much for you to digest this instant, take it slow, and think things over.

         Today everything has international mobility: jobs, commodities, west Nile virus. Face it, “Made in China” is a staple American motto. The point I am trying to reach is that we need to transition ourselves into becoming global citizens, rather than living in an American closet. This means soaking up as much information about the world as we can and discovering how events are interrelated.

         We can all start by tuning into more informative radio, like NPR, or surfing the web in places we have yet to tread. As emerging global citizens, we should seek international news wherever we can. The world is becoming flat at an alarming rate, and as each day passes we are getting closer and closer to our fellow human beings. Let’s take a proactive role in determining our future.