Foreign Policy Blogs

Transatlantic Media

British and French Vie for “Worst Tourists” Title

Despite their traditional desire to score points off each other, the British and French are competing for the title of “worst tourists,” following publication of a study of touristic behavior by nationality conducted by the Expedia travel company. The survey of 4,500 hoteliers named the British as the worst tourists in Europe, but the French […]

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Europe More Worried than U.S. by Global Economic Threats

Although G-8 leaders have warned that significant risks remain in the world economy, the U.S. media seem to be paying less attention to the continuing global crisis than their European counterparts. The likely reasons are that Europe is lagging behind the United States on the road to recovery and that Europeans are traditionally more attuned […]

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Europe Cautious over Obama’s “Reset” Summit in Moscow

The European media generally gave a cautious evaluation of President Barack Obama’s trip to Russia, concluding that the atmosphere between the two countries had improved but that concrete progress still remained to be achieved. Like the U.S. media, the Europeans pointed to the value of Russia’s agreement to allow the transit of U.S. military supplies […]

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Newspapers Cry for Help in U.S. and Europe

Newspapers in both the United States and Europe are considering seeking public support as their print editions struggle with plummeting revenues, rising costs and declining circulations. Closures and lay-offs have gone much farther in the United States than in Europe. But European journalists, aware that it may be their turn next, are sounding the alarm […]

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Italian Americans Dispute Portrayal of Mafia

Congratulatory emails have been pouring in to the Italian Embassy in Washington after Ambassador Giovanni Castellaneta wrote to the Washington Post to protest against a front page report from Rome March 1 headlined ‘As Italy’s Banks Tighten Lending, Desperate Firms Call on the Mafia.’ The emails are from Italian Americans sick and tired of what […]

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Does Sarkozy Write Gordon Brown’s Speeches?

Could it be that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown borrowed a speech-writer from his French counterpart President Nicolas Sarkozy for the stirring address he delivered March 4 to the joint houses of Congress in Washington D.C.? Brown’s speech was unusually emotional for the strait-laced Scot. Just like Sarkozy, who spoke from the same podium on […]

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"Buy American" Clause Unites U.S. and European Media in Anger

The American and European media showed unusual unanimity in their response to the inclusion of a "Buy American' provision in the $900 billion stimulus package currently before the U.S. Senate, following adoption of a slightly smaller measure in the House last week. The clause endorsed by the House would require public works projects funded by […]

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European Media Hail Obama, Warn that Magic Will Not Last

Coverage of President Barack Obama’s inauguration in the British and German press shared many of the “new dawn for America” sentiments featured in the U.S. media. Equally, a number of European reports warned that while Obama starts with a huge well of goodwill, his “magic” will not last for ever. Broadly speaking, the European left […]

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Surprise! A Slanted, Negative Euro-Map of America

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Obama Wrong on U.S. Workers But Media Doesn't Notice

Commenting on media coverage of the U.S. presidential election campaign last May, the Columbia Journalism Review asked an important question: "Do you let a candidate's remarks stand unchallenged even if they are wrong or misleading?" The CJR, a bimonthly magazine published by the prestigious Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, scolded the Rocky Mountain News […]

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Russia's Gas Clash with Ukraine: Geopolitics or Just the Money?

The latest conflict between Russia and Ukraine over gas supplies has hit the headlines in both Europe and the United States but the media are far from agreed on the causes. Some argue that it is a geo-political move aimed at increasing Russian power in the region while others argue that it is a result […]

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German Soldiers "Too Fat to Fight?"

This post was written by Transatlantic Media Network intern Cecily Boggs German media and officials are irritated by a fresh revelation about the 3,600 German troops stationed in the north of Afghanistan: they drink a lot of beer and wine. The news came on top of constant complaints from other NATO allies about the German […]

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Europeans Doubtful About Obama's Team

This post was written by Transatlantic Media Network Intern Cecily Boggs  The European media have given a cautious, and frequently critical, welcome to President-elect Barack Obama's nomination of his foreign policy and security team, and particularly his choice his defeated rival Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State. Many commentators asked whether such a well-known and […]

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European Media Against Detroit Bail-Out

As the "Big Three' American automakers continue their quest for a government bail-out, European commentators have tended to take to the view that they should submit to the "survival-of-the-fittest" logic of market forces , not least, perhaps, because many European companies fear that a U.S. bail-out would give the American manufacturers an unfair competitive advantage. […]

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American Movies Don't Boost U.S. Image

A report by Tom Arango in the New York Times, "World Falls for American Media, Even as It Sours on America,' says that while the image of the United States around the world remains negative, according to the latest Pew Global Attitudes Project (released in June), the viewing of American movies and television has dramatically […]

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