Permanent Observatory on Foreign Press (1993)

An analysis of the reflection of Italian affairs as they emerge from the articles and comments of the most representative foreign newspapers. This work represents a further effort to understand the analysis schemes adopted by foreign commentators to interpret Italian events. The quantitative nature of the analysis enables us to understand which foreign newspapers pay most attention to Italy and why. In the quarter February-April 1993, the Observatory collected and analysed 1,244 foreign articles on Italy using the following methodology: the articles were discussed in six key contexts – politics, economy, culture, crime, news and sport – and the most significant passages were translated and inserted into a series of abstracts.
Nine newspapers were analysed: Die Welt, Le Monde, International Herald Tribune, El Pais, Financial Times, Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung, The Independent, The Guardian and The Times. In addition, 48 reports published by five prestigious weeklies were analysed: The Economist, Times International, Newsweek, L’Express, Der Spiegel.