The manner in which global news stories are covered has changed dramatically over the years. In the 19th century, it used to take several days for a news story to reach England from the United States. Throughout the 20th century, this timeframe increased dramatically and now we are able to access news as it happens through 24-coverage via television and the internet.
The Second World War was a pivotal moment in news history, it was the first time that radio broadcast could give regular updates to inform people of what was happening hundreds of miles away. It was also able to save lives as it could report potential attacks and give people time to seek shelter.
In the following Cold War period, the news was used as a form of propaganda by the United States and the Soviet Union against their enemies. Tensions were also heightened as the public were privy to the dangers posed by the potential disaster of situations such as the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Following the advent of rolling news and the expansion of television across the world, the death of Princess Diana was considered to be the first modern truly global media event. Following her death, billions around the world watched the funeral on television, an event recognized as a milestone in the media landscape. Her passing also brought to the forefront the way in which the media now made the lives of public individuals much more accessible than before. While such people were once viewed at a distance, the changing media landscape meant that her life has been played out in front of the eyes of the world for all to see.
The attack on the World Trade Centres in New York in 2001 became a media event of a kind the world had never seen before. Not only was the coverage instant and extensive but the developments in technology meant that much of the atrocities were streamed live around the world as they were happening. Such extensive footage of an event had never been seen before, not only from professional journalists but also from the public capturing it on their phones, which was then used by many media outlets. Today many news agencies rely on the footage shot by people at the scene, turning everybody with a phone into a potential news journalist.