The flow of international news was traced from the Associated Press (AP) interbureau and United Press International (UPI) state wires into 11 Indiana newspapers to determine (1) the comparative frequency of wire service news about nations of the more developed northern hemisphere and those of the less developed southern hemisphere, and (2) whether the two blocs of nations were treated differently in subject matter and news themes. Samples from 2 constructed weeks and 2 random weeks of wire news were taken from the morning cycles of both news services, from the computer of the "Indiana Daily Student," and from AP dispatches from sub-Saharan Africa. A random sample of 11 Indiana daily newspapers, divided almost equally between services, was searched for all foreign wire service stories, with coders noting location, length, and extent of editing for each story. The results indicated that the number of wire stories about northern and southern nations was about equal, with no difference in story length. The bulk of wire service coverage was about diplomatic or political relations, internal and armed conflict, political crime, terrorism, and items of human interest. About 60% of all foreign wire stories reported some form of conflict, with Third World nations twice as likely to be portrayed in such stories. The sub-Sahara African dispatches contained a mixture of news on development and conflict, but final usage by the newspapers produced a narrower, more violent portrait of the area. (HTH)