Media and Globalization

Media and Globalization

Media has been part of the daily lives of people in the world. It's existence in many forms such as print (newspaper and other publications), radio, and the televison. With the people's frequent exposure to the media, it has served as daily immediate source of information for everyone. Having the media as an important sector or group around the world, its capability of reaching through a greater number of people allowed them to be an influential icon in every economy. No matter what purpose it serves, the media's involvement in every happing in the world became a global practice.

Today, when reporters consider their local community, they think not only about the physical and geographical region in which they live. They also think about their associates and neighbors around the world with whom they are connected through e-mail. When a reporter gathers information concerning this or that issue, he or she uses the Internet to find relevant material from around the world. For those who gather information, "local community" no longer refers just to the region in which they live but to the whole world. The involvement of every local media in covering international events and happening shows that it is moving globally.

While media conglomerates press for policies to facilitate their domination of markets throughout the world, strong traditions of protection for domestic media and cultural industries persist. Thus, creating conflict with the interest between conservative/communist communities and liberal states. 


Theoretically, global media influences media content, politics, and culture. As the Internet grows and becomes a broadband medium, it is significantly taking on the characteristics of mass media rather than its real characteristics which are interpersonal in nature. There is no doubt that in the future or even in the immediate future, all types of media and its content will be extended to the Internet. 


"For instance, a recent study of Dutch children's Internet usage revealed that they primarily used the Internet as a leisure medium to play games, watch video clips, and visit entertainment sites. Research on Americans however, shows people primarily use the Internet to maintain social relationships through e-mail. The Dutch study was conducted by Valkenburg and Soeters (2001), who examined children's home Internet usage. They found three primary motives for children's Internet use: affinity with computers, information seeking, and entertainment. Children must first of all enjoy sitting in front of a computer, the researchers found. Second, children use the Internet to find information about hobbies and homework assignments. Finally, they visit entertainment Web sites. The use of the Internet as an entertainment and leisure medium is similar to television usage."  

- http://www.seawost.com/massmedia.html

Studying global media is very important especially now that globalization is rapidly scattering all over the world. One reason for studying such is that people tend to associate global media's international circulation with power. According to Mirza Jan of Pakistan,  there are four types of power; economic power, political power, coercive power, and symbolic power. These types of power represent different sectors and different groups of nations that are greatly influenced by globalization or global media. 

As people concerned, we need to know almost everything that happens around us. This will bring forth awareness and we will be able to do something to address the issue. Where we actually get the information about current events is a very important factor that influences our stand and opinion towards things. With the many things that happen every hour in a day and with the fast transmission of information because of technology, it is vital that we filter the information we get because there is no neutral media. If what the media can bring us is being filtered and limited by the government and others, we too have to be careful of what we believe in on the different information that is being given to us. We need to be critical and wise in our stand on the issues that involve us. - K.N.

Globalization and media has paved way for real time information to be delivered right inside our houses. Through it, we were able to know various news and current events that are happening all around the globe. It has, in a way, shaped our views and influenced us how to react to the news that it covered. Not all news, however, are being brought to us in its raw state; some are filtered and some are altered to reduce the negative effects it may convey. The media can be used as both propaganda and as watchdog to the government so we should critically discern the news we are going to believe. While generally, the news that media has given us has the aim to inform, not all are true and reliable information. It is up to us, the readers and the receivers of information, to choose what we will believe and what will be useful in our daily lives. - R.S.

Media has this great power of influencing our lives, what we should believe in, or what things are supposed to be. It can ruin or make a name for a person. It defines almost everything. We cannot deny that fact that media has this inevitable power over us. But no matter how this way of affecting what we think of something goes over the top, we should also need to see things our own way. Having your own stand matters. It does not require so much intelligence to dwell on any current issue. Reading between the lines always pays so do not just rely on the facts provided by media because most of the time it would only give biased information. There is always a side that a headline would have favor on. Thus, media should just be there to make us see what is happening and not to somewhat dictate what people should think towards something or someone.  - E.T.

Sources:


http://www.eurojournals.com/ejsr_29_1_08.pdf