Baltimore Sun: British media invading U.S.; offer another source of news

Brits offering another source of news
By Nick Madigan
Sun Reporter
Originally published June 6, 2006

That once-venerable bastion of British journalism, The Times of London, has decided to grace the rebellious colonies with a daily U.S. edition, starting today....

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The Times' exploratory move into the U.S. newspaper market comes a few days after the British Broadcasting Corp.'s introduction of a 24-hour news channel that seeks to compete against CNN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel. In addition, The Economist, a British weekly newsmagazine, is evaluating the results of a test-marketing effort in Baltimore that sought to increase the publication's presence in the area as a possible precursor for similar efforts elsewhere in the United States....The Guardian...brought out a weekly edition in the United States in 2003, and The Financial Times...launched a U.S. edition in 1997....

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Many Americans view home-grown news sources, whether newspapers or television networks, as being biased, said Paul Rossi, publisher of The Economist for North America. In such a vacuum, British periodicals with solid reputations can find a ready niche....

"I think there's an increasing demand in the U.S. for an outsider's view," said Rossi, whose magazine saw a 30 percent sales increase in its Baltimore test marketing program, which began in late February and lasted six weeks. "Since 9/11, especially, people are seeing the connections between things happening in the U.S. and the world outside. They're recognizing this need for a global view."

Rossi said U.S. newspapers, newsmagazines and TV news divisions, pinched for cash, have cut back on foreign correspondents, leaving media outlets from overseas to pick up the slack....

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bal-to.british06jun06,0,6880188.story?coll=bal-features-headlines

The British media doesn't offer another source of news to Americans. The British media offers a source of news to Americans.