International Communication – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering foundational terms, theories, historical milestones, cultural dimensions, and contemporary issues discussed in the international communication lecture.

Intercultural Communication

The study of communication between individuals from different cultures.

International Communication

The study of mass-mediated communication between two or more countries with differing cultural backgrounds.

Development Communication

The study of social change brought about by applying communication research and practice to foster development.

Cross-Cultural Communication

Examination of how cultural variables affect communication processes across different cultures.

Ethnocentrism

The tendency to judge other cultures by the standards of one’s own culture.

Cultural Relativism

The view that cultural practices should be understood within their own cultural context, not judged by outside standards.

Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis

The idea that language influences perception and, consequently, human behaviour.

Culture Shock

Traumatic experience an individual may encounter when entering a different culture.

Sojourners

People who live in another culture temporarily with the intention of returning home.

Assimilation (Cultural)

Process through which an individual relinquishes an original culture for another.

Communication and Empire

Historical practice of maintaining imperial authority and trade across distance through communication systems.

Printing Press

15th-century invention by Johannes Gutenberg that revolutionised mass communication.

Telegraph

Electrical long-distance communication system invented by Samuel Morse in 1837.

International Telegraph Union (ITU)

1865 intergovernmental body created to coordinate international telegraphy.

News Agency

Organisation that gathers and distributes news to subscribing media outlets.

Agence France-Presse (AFP)

Global news agency founded as Havas Agency in 1835 in France.

Wolff Agency

German news agency founded in 1849; part of the late-19th-century news cartel.

Reuters

British news agency founded in 1851, key member of the historic news-agency cartel.

Associated Press (AP)

U.S. cooperative news agency established in 1848.

News-Agency Cartel

19th-century agreement among AFP, Wolff and Reuters to divide the globe into ‘reserved territories’ for news distribution.

Pathé

French film company (1907) that pioneered international film distribution.

Hollywood

U.S. film industry hub whose rapid growth began in 1909 and dominates global screens.

Radio Bari

Italian station used by Mussolini in the 1930s to broadcast fascist propaganda to Arab audiences.

Cominform

1947 Soviet Communist Information Bureau directing Cold-War propaganda toward Eastern Europe and the Third World.

Voice of America (VOA)

Official U.S. international broadcaster established during WWII.

Radio Free Europe (RFE)

U.S.-funded station targeting audiences behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.

BBC World Service

United Kingdom’s international public broadcaster known for editorial independence.

Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE)

1975-76 India–NASA project delivering educational TV to 2,400 villages to promote modernization.

Culture (Hofstede)

Collective programming of the mind distinguishing one group from another.

Power Distance

Extent to which less-powerful members expect and accept unequal power distribution.

Small Power Distance

Cultural orientation in which hierarchy is viewed as role-based and equality is valued.

Large Power Distance

Cultural orientation accepting power as a basic societal fact; hierarchy implies inequality.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Degree to which society feels uncomfortable with ambiguity and seeks to minimise it.

Weak Uncertainty Avoidance

Culture that accepts life’s uncertainty, tolerates deviance, and feels lower stress.

Strong Uncertainty Avoidance

Culture that perceives uncertainty as threat, demands rules, and experiences higher anxiety.

Individualism

Cultural dimension where individual goals and autonomy take precedence over group loyalty.

Collectivism

Cultural dimension prioritising group cohesion and loyalty over individual interests.

Masculinity (Hofstede)

Cultural trait valuing achievement, assertiveness, and material success.

Femininity (Hofstede)

Cultural trait valuing caring, modesty, and quality of life.

Long-Term Orientation

Cultural focus on future rewards, thrift and perseverance.

Short-Term Orientation

Cultural focus on past and present, respect for tradition, and quick results.

Indulgence

Societal allowance for free gratification of human desires related to enjoying life and fun.

Restraint

Societal regulation of gratification through strict social norms.

Free Flow of Information

Post-WWII Western doctrine advocating unregulated transborder media to promote democracy and markets.

Modernization Theory

View that international mass communication can transfer Western economic and political models to developing nations.

Dependency Theory

Perspective that Northern transnational corporations control developing nations, creating economic and media dependency.

Cultural Imperialism

Herbert Schiller’s concept of TNCs undermining cultural autonomy in the South for commercial gain.

Media Imperialism

Oliver Boyd-Barrett’s idea of external control over another country’s media ownership, structure or content.

Structural Imperialism

Johan Galtung’s typology of imperialism (economic, political, military, communication, cultural) shaping core-periphery relations.

International News Flow

Dominant movement of news from core nations to periphery via global agencies.

Hegemony (Gramsci)

Dominant group’s ability to secure consent through intellectual and moral leadership in society.

Critical Theory

Frankfurt School critique of mass culture as commodified, standardised and linked to industrial capitalism.

Public Sphere

Habermas’s arena for rational public debate, autonomous from state and economic power.

Four Theories of the Press

Authoritarian, Libertarian, Soviet Communist, and Social Responsibility models explaining media–state relations.

Soviet Communist Model

State-owned media serving Marxist-Leninist goals; criticism of the party forbidden.

Authoritarian Model

Media cannot criticise ruler; controlled via licensing though may be privately owned.

Libertarian Theory

Press as private watchdog guaranteeing free expression and marketplace of ideas.

Social Responsibility Theory

Press freedom coupled with obligation to serve public good; government may intervene if media fail.

Polarized Pluralist Model

Hallin & Mancini’s Mediterranean system: low circulation, high political parallelism, strong state intervention.

Democratic Corporatist Model

Northern/Central European system: high circulation, strong professionalisation, robust public service broadcasting.

Liberal Model (Hallin & Mancini)

North Atlantic system: market-dominated, information-oriented journalism, strong professionalism.

Media Capture

Situation where critical media exist but are pressured or co-opted by government or business interests.

Illiberal Democracy

Governance that keeps formal democratic institutions while undermining freedoms and checks and balances.

Convergence (Media)

Blurring of previously distinct media sectors through digital technology and corporate mergers.

Synergies (Media)

Use of one corporate subsidiary to promote or complement another, enhancing conglomerate power.

Transnational Corporation (TNC)

Large company operating across national borders, often dominating global media industries.

OTT (Over-the-Top) Television

Streaming video content delivered via the internet without traditional broadcast systems.

Global Hollywood

Worldwide dominance of U.S. film industry whose movies are screened in 150+ countries.

US-UK Print Duopoly

Dominance of outlets like The New York Times, Time, and The Economist in international print media.

International Advertising

Global promotion of products, led by U.S., European and Japanese agencies, increasingly via internet.

SLAPP

Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation aimed at silencing investigative journalists or activists.

Campaign for the Truth

Harry Truman’s Cold-War initiative to legitimise U.S. involvement in Korea through information campaigns.

Psychological Strategy Board

1951 U.S. body coordinating psychological warfare activities during the Cold War.

Comprehensive Propaganda (NHK)

Japanese WWII radio broadcasts targeting Asia and U.S. troops with wartime messaging.

Underwater Telegraph Cables

Subsea lines enabling global telegraphy, revolutionising 19th-century international communication.

Cartel ‘Reserved Territories’

Regions allocated exclusively to AFP, Wolff or Reuters under their 19th-century cartel agreement.

Public Service Broadcasting

State-regulated media model prioritising public interest over commercial profit (e.g., BBC, Deutsche Welle).

Commercial Broadcasting

Radio/TV model funded by advertising and driven by profit, pioneered in the USA.

Radio Sawa / Radio Farda

U.S. Middle East broadcast services launched post-2000 to convey American viewpoints.

Czech ‘Oligarch’ Media

Ownership trend where wealthy business figures (e.g., Andrej Babiš) control major Czech outlets.

Quality Digital News (CEE)

Independent online outlets like Aktuality.sk (Slovakia), Seznam Zpravy (Czechia), ONET (Poland).

Media Plurality

Presence of diverse, independent media voices essential for democratic discourse.