Conclusion: The Comparative Study of News Diffusion

Abstract
By means of comparative studies, knowledge about news diffusion patterns may be generalized not only over events but also over different social and media systems. To that end, the diffusion of news about the assassination of Sweden's Prime Minister, Olof Palme, was comparatively studied in twelve countries in Europe, Asia and America. The results show that media structure - previously somewhat neglected in diffusion studies - plays an important role in determining the predominant medium of diffusion. Across the media systems, on the other hand, differential significance of the event strongly affects the rate of diffusion as well as the role of personal communication in the news diffusion process. The influence of sheer geographical distance is weak.