Toward a Relational Sociology of the Production and Diffusion of Transnational Cultural Goods. The Case of Transnational Journalistic Information

Abstract

This article applies Pierre Bourdieu’s relational sociology to uncover the complex mechanisms governing the production and circulation of journalistic information in the era of transnationalization. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Turkey with French journalists, the author analyses how international news emerges from the dynamic interaction between three social spaces: the national space of origin (Turkey, as the source of information), the national host space (France, where the information is disseminated), and the transnational journalistic space. The text begins by dismantling the illusion of a homogeneous transnational media space. This space is deeply hierarchical, with a handful of countries (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France) and media corporations (Reuters, AFP, Bloomberg, CNN, Al Jazeera) controlling the production and dissemination of information. These “wholesalers” of news impose their logic on national media, which remain dependent on their raw material. Turkey, a semi-peripheral country in this landscape, perfectly illustrates this dynamic. Its media importance has grown with internal political transformations and geopolitical upheavals (Middle East wars, 9/11 attacks), making Istanbul a strategic hub. The analysis then demonstrates how the national space of origin shapes the work of correspondents. In Turkey, the concentration of media in Istanbul, the reliance on 24-hour news channels, and the close ties between the journalistic field and political power directly influence media coverage. Foreign journalists, often unable to read Turkish, rely on pre-filtered local sources, which inevitably reinforces selection biases and perpetuates entrenched stereotypes. Conversely, transnational media like AFP can also exert political influence in the countries they cover, particularly on sensitive issues, thereby helping to shape local debates. However, it is in the host space that the final stage of this “migration” of information takes place. In France, “international news” is never neutral: it is nationalized, selected and framed according to France’s geopolitical interests, cultural references, and editorial priorities. Preferred topics focus primarily on former colonies, neighboring countries, or areas where France is militarily engaged. In this context, mainstream media devote limited coverage to international news, leaving the field open to more elitist or press agencies. Correspondents must anticipate the expectations of their newsrooms.