News Coverage

I had withdrawals in the beginning of the France trip because...there wasn't any American TV.

Okay, so I have shallow interests but with only 4 channels in English, 3 of which covered the news, I discovered that in Europe, America isn't the center of the universe. Instead, there was coverage spanning the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe. CNN wasn't the CNN we have here in the States; CNN was the International version. I had to wait until 11:30 p.m. (France time) to sometimes see Wolf Blitzer reporting.

After a few days, though, I had spent enough time mulling this over. We Americans really are like teenagers - totally into ourselves without much thought or even concern about anything beyond our shores.

Sitting at a table along the Champs Elysees, I marvelled at the diversity of people walking up and down the avenue. There were different kinds of Africans, some in native dress and others in western dress looking so comfortable in their skin as they strolled the avenue. There were people from countries where women dress in long, flowing garb, heads and sometimes faces covered. I even saw a hunched woman whose face was covered with tattoos along with her hands and feet. I have no idea from where she came but thought she was perhaps a gypsy.

I suppose it's the proximity of these countries to each other that is the reason for more world coverage. It makes sense. But it also made me wonder when America will mature enough to a point where we, too, join the world community at least in covering world events in the news?