As most long-standing news outlets have shuttered their foreign bureaus and print operations, the role of Global News Networks (GNNs) as information collectors and policy influencers has changed. Western GNNs are both untethered to government entities and able to produce accurate yet critical situational analyses. But due to the emergence of other GNNs owned or directed by national governments, the global news cycle has become thoroughly manipulatable. 

Kounalakis' interviews with a diverse set of GNN professionals vividly depicts the momentous sea change that has occurred in global news production. He also traces the evolution of GNNs from the 20th century to now, revealing today's drastically altered global news business model. Find out why countries such as Russia and China invest heavily in their news media, and how some GNNs operate in tandem with state strategies and diplomatic sensitivities. Get a firsthand look at how the global media is shaping policy and morphing the public's consumption of information.