Media Reporting on the Third World

For many in the privileged North or the First World, the Third World consists of beaches, swaying palm trees, tropical weather and exotic women. It is a place to get a tan and maybe learn a few words of Spanish, Tagalog or Indonesian. Much of our information and many of our attitudes are shaped by media images. Reporting generally reflects and promotes biases and hegemonic impulses. The First World monopoly of representation contributes to a lack of understanding and awareness of the realities of the Third World.