Global Media Cultures Notes

Global Media Cultures

Framework

  • Globalization and Media

    • "There can be no globalization without media."

  • Questions to Ponder

    • Could early humans migrate and populate the earth without communication?
    • Could settlements evolve into empires without coordination and planning through communication?
    • Could methodologies evolve into humanitarian systems without messages being conveyed?
    • Could global trade, political participation, cultural assimilation, and socialization occur without media?

Current Events and Media

  • Discussion points based on current news articles and images:

    • Political issues
    • Human rights violations
    • International relations

Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze how various media drive various forms of global integration.
  • Explain the dynamic between local and global cultural production.
  • Evaluate the impact of globalization on languages, cultures, and national identities.

Words to Go By

  • Digital
  • Communication
  • Electronic
  • Media
  • Global media cultures
  • Press
  • Global media
  • Global village
  • Imagined community
  • Digital divide
  • Broadcast media
  • Print media
  • Performing arts media
  • Script

Definitions

  • Communication: The importing or exchange of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium; the successful conveying or sharing of ideas and feelings.
  • Global Media Cultures: The way in which media content is created, distributed, and consumed across the world.
  • Global Media: Corporations or entities globally engaged in media production and/or distribution.
  • Global Village: An international community formed by constant interaction between citizens of various countries and bound by shared cultural experiences, transcending geographical distance and actual physical contact.
  • Imagined Community: A community formed by like-minded individuals bound by common interests, shared aspirations, and collective identity.
  • Digital Divide: A gap in technological skills between those who have ready access to computers, digital devices, and the internet, and those who do not.
  • Digital: Relating to, using, or storing data or information in the form of digital signals; involving or relating to the use of computer technology.
  • Electronic: Having or operating with components such as microchips and transistors that control and direct electric currents.
  • Media: The main means of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing, and the internet) regarded collectively.
  • Press: Newspapers or journalists viewed collectively.
  • Broadcast Media: Media channels which transmit information basically through radio or television and recently, the internet through social networking sites and other search engines and web explorers.
  • Print Media: Means of mass communication in the form of printed publications, such as newspapers and magazines.
  • Performing Arts Media: Media channels that convey a message/s through creative activity that are performed in front of an audience, such as music, dance, and drama.
  • Script: Handwriting as distinct from print, written characters, writing using a particular alphabet; an automated series of instructions carried out in a specific order.

Global Village

  • Popularized by Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s.
  • Refers to the idea that advancements in communication and transportation technologies have made the world more interconnected, resulting in a sense of a smaller, more tightly-knit community.

Globalization Metaphors

  • Globalization as our era: an outcome achieved in our time.
  • Globalization as an unstoppable force: inevitable.
  • Globalization as a rising tide: a natural development that will elevate and enrich all.
  • Globalization as benefactor: brings positive change and distributes benefits.
  • Globalization as networked world: barriers have come down.
  • Globalization as empire: economic and military expansion.

Beginning of Globalization

  • Arjun Appadurai: Late 1900s due to advances in media and changes in migration patterns.
  • Robert Marks: 1571 in Manila due to Spain's colonization of the Philippines, completing a global trade route.
  • Others: Since the beginning of humanity.
  • Author's note: There are no right answers as to when globalization began.

Role of Media in Globalization

  • Bridging cultural divides
  • Sharing information
  • Spreading popular culture
  • Encouraging consumerism

Interwoven Threads of Culture and Media

  • Cultural Exchange: Media facilitates the exchange of ideas, traditions, and narratives, contributing to both convergence and divergence in cultural expressions.
  • Evolving Narratives: Media platforms and storytelling techniques are constantly evolving, reflecting shifting social and cultural dynamics.
  • Information: Global media networks provide access to information from around the world, promoting awareness and understanding.
  • Cultural Diffusion: Media acts as a conduit for cultural exchange, introducing new ideas, traditions, and perspectives to audiences worldwide.
  • Social Impact: Media plays a significant role in shaping public opinion, influencing social movements, and driving cultural change.

Emerging Trends in Global Media

  • Globalization of Content: Content is increasingly produced and consumed across national borders, reflecting a globalized media landscape.
  • Mobile Media Consumption: Mobile devices have become the primary platform for accessing media, particularly in emerging markets.
  • Social Media Influence: Social media platforms have become influential forces in shaping public discourse and cultural trends.

Digital Media and Cultural Identity

  1. Self-Representation
  2. Community Formation
  3. Cultural Expression

Challenges in Global Media

  • Cultural Stereotypes: Global media can contribute to cultural stereotypes and misunderstandings if not approached with sensitivity and awareness.
  • Media Censorship: Government regulation and censorship can limit access to information and restrict cultural expression.
  • Digital Divide: Unequal access to technology and the internet can exacerbate social inequalities and limit cultural participation.
  • Critical Consumption: Be aware of potential biases, cultural differences, and the impact of media messages.
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Respect and appreciate diverse cultural perspectives and expressions.
  • Active Engagement: Engage in discussions, contribute to media platforms, and participate in cultural exchange.

History of Media

  • America plays a prominent role in the global media scene, establishing fundamental leadership in the cultural sphere.
  • Global news agencies and major broadcasting organizations are responsible for the selection and packaging of news from the third world.
  • A handful of firms dominate the globalized part of the media system, including:
    • AOL Time Warner (U.S.)
    • Disney (U.S.)
    • Vivendi-Universal (French)
    • Bertelsmann (German)
    • Viacom (U.S.)
    • Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation (Australian)

From Cultural Imperialism to Global Capitalism and Media Imperialism

  1. Major forces leading to cultural globalization are economic and organizational.
    • Cultural globalization requires an organizational infrastructure.
    • Globalization occurs through news and entertainment media that produce and distribute films, television programs, and popular music worldwide.
  2. Dominance in the global media marketplace is more a function of economic than cultural factors.
    • A small number of media conglomerates, based in a few Western countries, dominate the production and global distribution of film, television, popular music, and book publishing.

Theoretical Models of Cultural Globalization/Cultural Imperialism Theory

  1. The global economic system is dominated by a core of advanced countries, while third-world countries remain at the periphery.
  2. Multinational or transnational corporations are key actors, producing goods, controlling markets, and disseminating products using similar techniques.
  3. Imperialism, with the concept of globalization, suggests interconnection and interdependency of all global areas happening in a far less purposeful way.
  4. Cultural imperialism re-conceptualized as media imperialism remains a useful perspective because it can be used to analyze the extent to which some national actors have more impact than others on global culture.
  5. Cultural globalization corresponds to a network with no clearly defined center or periphery; it is a less coherent and unitary process than cultural imperialism.

What is Cultural Imperialism?

  1. Defined as cultural domination by powerful nations over weaker nations.
  2. Viewed as purposeful and intentional because it corresponds to the political interests of powerful capitalist societies.
  3. The effects of cultural domination are pervasive, leading to the homogenization of global culture.
  4. An attempt to promote a Western lifestyle and possibly Americanize the world.

Basics of Cultural Globalization

  1. Diffusion of ideas and cultures amongst all of the civilizations of the world.
  2. A trend that will eventually make all of human experience and customs the same.
  3. Occurs in everyday life through wireless communication, electronic commerce, popular culture, and international trade.
  4. An attempt to promote a Western lifestyle and possibly Americanize the world.

Contributing Factors

  1. New technology and forms of communication help integrate different cultures.
  2. Transportation technologies and services along with mass migration and individual travel contribute to cross-cultural exchanges.
  3. Infrastructures and institutionalization embedded change.

Benefits that Allow for Profits to Companies and Nations

  1. Offers opportunities for development and advancement in economics, technology, and information, impacting developed countries.
  2. Creates a more homogeneous world.
  3. Generates interdependent companies.

The Future of Global Media Cultures

  • The landscape is constantly evolving, driven by technological innovation, changing social dynamics, and the growing interconnectedness of cultures.

Conclusion

  • Media and globalization will persist as long as humanity exists.
  • Media will always be relevant in human history.
  • The Philippine law recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation-building (Article 2 Section 24).
  • Communication and information are crucial for the development and progress of the Philippines, which is not possible without inter-mingling with other states.