UNESCO's International Commission for the Study of Communication Problems recommends that a new world information and communication order be established. This order advocates that the news media serve the public directly, and that the public in turn hold the media accountable. Alfred Korzybski's General Semantics paradigm is one system that can contribute toward achieving this order. General Semantics is a system for message evaluation that deals with such universal human values as increasing education, improving health and welfare, and contributing toward general international understanding. Its criteria can strengthen the collecting, sorting, and evaluating capabilities of mass media messages. Included in the General Semantics formulations are the following: (1) Nonallness--one cannot know all that there is to know and messages should not suggest otherwise; (2) Multivaluedness--there are many value systems in the world and messages should reflect that there is more than one way to look at a person, place, or thing; (3) Multiordinality--some words have more than one meaning; (4) Indexing--differences are often the important factors for successful communication; (5) Symbol Reacting versus Signal Reacting--effective communication should include looking into what lies behind the use of certain words; (6) the Et-Cetera Attitude--there is more to be learned about a person, place, or thing that can enhance a message; and (7) the Natural Order of Evaluating--messages based upon a foundation of that which is factual and observable are more beneficial to a society. The bulk of this paper contains applications of the foregoing criteria to front-page stories of select Caribbean and Latin American newspapers. (HOD)