We give storytellers we have a relationship with more credibility than we give strangers, and stories that are close to us more weight than stories from foreign lands.
Even the rhetorical support promised by Mr Cameron could help, says one investor, by publicising quiet success stories and attracting foreign talent and capital.
One of the most interesting stories in China which most foreign observers have missed is how the Chinese, in their own very ingenious ways, have adapted the Internet to fit their needs.
The resulting stories have all commented on how Walmart and other big foreign retailers are stumbling in China as they struggle to compete with local competitors.
University of Memphis journalism professor Thomas Hrach conducted a study of 122, 000 news stories published between 2000 and 2010, to determine which terms are being used to describe foreign nationals in the U.S. who are out of status.