UK media affecting US politics?

[bidenista]

Following on from the Sibel Edmonds thing...

As someone currently visiting the other side of the Atlantic, I was wondering what other DUers think of the idea that the media over here are affecting US politics? Is it inevitable in an internet age? Is it right that a foreign media should have such an influence, if it does? Or does the UK media provide information which the US MSM just won't?

There's a discussion of this issue on what looks like a right-wing website here:

http://britainandamerica.typepad.com/britain_and_america/2007/05/british_media_c.html

In this morning's Guardian - arguably Britain's most influential newspaper because of its penetration of what Australians call The Opinionators - there is an important article exploring the growing US readership of London-sourced news. It highlights BBC news online (with five million Americans visiting every month), The Guardian (4.5 million) and The Times (3.3 million). The graphic on the right compares that data with October 2006 data for some major US media platforms (data originating from comScore).

The Guardian's Susan Hansen argues that Americans are partly turning to online British newspapers because of their more feisty scrutiny of politicians - particularly the much greater scepticism about Iraq that was evident from the BBC, Guardian and Independent during the run-up to the decision to go to war. She also notes the efforts of British newspapers to tailor more and more products to the US marketplace. "The Guardian," she writes, "has been beefing up its reporting staff in a bid to drive still more Americans to its site."

Makes some good points, but I'm curious to know what other DUers think.

[Crunchy Frog]

1. I think we should ban Americans from being able to read foreign newspapers.

We can't allow anything to contaminate the purity of our politics.

[fascisthunter]

2. It's Like the Soviet Union Over Here... Save US!!!!!!!!!

Before they....