"If Pakistan is So Dangerous, Why Don't We Read Anything About It?"

INQUIRER COLUMNIST Trudy Rubin was asked the question in the headline while speaking in Illinois recently.

And it has her concerned about whether Americans are getting information that impacts their world.

After lamenting the fact that nearly every newspaper has shuttered their foreign bureaus, she notes, "The three major TV networks have practically eliminated foreign bureaus. Their international coverage dropped to a 21-year low in 2008, when they devoted only 13 percent of their air time to world news. And you won't find serious foreign coverage on CNN, which is best at covering immediate crises."

In a world where people can tailor the news to their own interests, how do we make people realize that the rest of the world has an impact on our lives?

Or, as Rubin asks, "Why can't we find out what's happening in countries whose turmoil affects our lives?"