"The major conclusion is that information flows are far more strongly influenced and oriented first by historical and cultural links, including those remaining from colonial times, then by ideological affinities and lastly by community of interests, than they are by geographical proximity. This is no surprise but may at first sight appear unfortunate, Less than twenty per cent of the news space in the South Americar, dailies, for example, is given over to Latin America, and the Senegalese press shows greater interest in a minor ministerial reshuffle in France or the Federal Republic of Germany than in an election taking place in the Gambia or the Ivory Coast." (Introduction)