The idea of using foreign news as a means of national self-reflection is nothing new to Watching America, a US-based site that has been trying to get Americans to read foreign opinion about the US for nine years. Even so, it still provided an opportunity to reflect on how America is perceived by its non-allies. From countries that are not exactly known for their enthusiasm about all things Americana, that should come as no surprise, and some here disregarded the coverage as simple propaganda.
Particular scrutiny was given to the Ferguson coverage in countries like Russia, China, Iran, and Egypt, where the crisis provided a welcome excuse to dust off the argument that America shouldn’t point fingers at other countries’ human rights issues. The simplest answer was of course that the coverage varied widely between countries and outlets: Some paid particular attention to the militarization of the police, many tried to explain to readers why the legacy of the civil rights movements and the election of president Obama have not brought about a post-racial society, and then there were those who were mostly concerned with what American problems say about their own. Accordingly, numerous US outlets asked that question, trying to decipher how the rest of the global media landscape was covering the story. They can also reveal a lot about how such disturbances are viewed at home,” noted the Washington Post. The answer “can offer a refreshing viewpoint on America’s many problems. That may or may not be how the US media would have covered the events if they happened abroad, but how were foreign media covering the actual American events?
The premise behind the satire seemed to be an impression that US news coverage of international events simplify complex issues (“Ferguson…is ruled overwhelmingly by members of America’s majority ‘white people’ sect.’”), put a bit of orientalist gloss on local life (“The glistening capital city of Washington”), and are more focused on consequences to financial rather than human interests (“Analysts warn the violence could spread toward oil-producing regions”). During the crisis in Ferguson, Vox wondered how the US media would cover the events if they were happening in another country, offering its own satirical answer to the question, inspired by a recurring Slate feature.
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