International news has been the subject of significant scholarly attention due to its particular newsgathering and distribution challenges. It has also been deemed as having a distinct journalistic culture of its own, with a number of studies demonstrating that events can be covered in meaningfully different ways across countries despite them essentially being the same thing.
The majority of global consumers seek to understand the world around them and have a desire to stay connected with their friends and families abroad. They look for information that they find relevant, relatable and inspiring. As a result, the consistent themes that emerge across markets reflect that they want to be informed, educated and inspired, but above all, they are looking for news that is trustworthy and objective.
To ensure that the information they consume aligns with their lifestyle, behaviour and needs throughout the day, they rely on multiple news channels and devices. Throughout the workday, push notifications alert them to current headlines and they peruse websites on their laptops during breaks. During the evening, they turn to television and are willing to watch longer formats that cover more in-depth stories.
Aside from their preferred mediums, consumer segments based on psychographic statements were created to identify specific groups that have different needs and preferences in relation to their engagement with English-language international news. This is a useful tool for marketers to use in targeting and delivering content that appeals to their target audiences.