Do recorders prioritise major international press agencies?

International media commonly reported to be particularly useful are the major international press agencies, and internationally oriented national organisations such as the BBC (UK) and Xinhua (China). The top 7 are AFP, AP, CNN, DOA, Reuters, Xinhua, and Press TV.

Two main reasons for prioritising international media are given by recorders. First is accessibility. These organisations generally make their reports available online and open-source, and some translate them from local to international languages (mostly English).The second reason is because of their standards. International media organisations are often seen as more impartial than some local sources, and their capacity to rapidly assess and integrate information from a wide variety of primary sources is seen as high. However, several recorders note that the international media could favour one “side” or narrative, due to the priorities or interest in the conflict of the government of the country where the media organisation was based.

THE RANGE OF SOURCES IN CASUALTY RECORDING, pp. 12-13