Assertion (A): The global news supply has become multiagency oriented for variety and verification.
Reason (R): The increasing cost of news collection at the global level has made the task of news collection by third world news agencies difficult.
Codes:
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true.
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Correct Ans: (D)
Explanation:
Assertion (A) states that global news supply has become multiagency oriented for variety and verification. However, this statement is false because a few dominant news agencies still control most international news. While independent and regional agencies have grown, major players like Reuters, AP, and AFP continue to dominate, limiting true diversity.
On the other hand, Reason (R) states that increasing costs have made global news collection difficult for third-world news agencies. This statement is true because small and regional news agencies struggle to afford international correspondents, satellite technology, and data verification tools. Due to financial constraints, many developing nations depend on Western news agencies for international coverage.
Thus, (A) is false, but (R) is true. The global news industry remains concentrated among a few powerful agencies, and smaller news organizations find it increasingly hard to operate due to high operational costs. Therefore, the correct answer is (D): (A) is false, but (R) is true.
