This article discusses the ways television news media reinforce national perspectives incoverage of events outside their borders, and the potential consequences of this formainstream television news. International news, as it is seen on national television, isstill a rigid genre where people and events tend to be viewed either through nationalprisms or through generic characteristics common in hegemonic Anglo-American newssources. Globalization, in terms of the concentration of media ownership, and changingtelevision formats have done remarkably little to change agendas and narratives innational television news. Shifting geopolitical realities, the accessibility of different newssources, and the self-reflexivity of journalists due to changing industry demands shouldmake more of an impact on international news narratives. Some studies point to theexistence of narratives portraying other types of relationships than the national “we” andthe foreign “other,” but systematic studies are needed to see whether such stories haveincreased over time.