Global institutions could be built up or fall apart, and few would know.
At least, that’s the conclusion of Kii Runsten, a Finnish journalist who just completed a long investigative piece through a fellowship program at University of Oxford.
She spent a year interviewing media, NGO and governmental officials involved in the globalization debate, including yours truly.
She found serious gaps in current press coverage of the World Trade Organization, for example. But she also dissects some of the partnerships and campaigns (like Oxfam’s cotton work) that seemed to cut through the media’s blindspots.
Hopefully, Kii’s piece will instigate some soulsearching among editors at the top papers. My bet, however, is that the quality and quantity of press coverage of globalization will continue to spiral down,inversely related to the skyrocketing layoffs at the major papers.
Todd N. Tucker, PhD 