We discuss the extent of current global media as well as what is involved in it.
What is it? Link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization
Globalization is the process of international integration from the exchange of world views, products, ideas and aspects of culture.It refers to the processes that promote world-wide exchanges of national and cultural resources with advances in transportation and telecommunications infrastructure such as the internet. It helps connect individuals, societies and countries/continents. This is reflected by a reduction in terms of time and space. It has caused widespread development of computers as well as communication infrastructure.
Globalization isn't all good. It has caused decreased significance of minority and ethnic identities. It has made local, region and even national significance less of an influence.
e.g. small local shops are becoming a thing of the past with massive supermarkets, food outlets and shopping complex's taking over.
E.G. Wal-Mart, Tesco, Mc Donalds, Starbucks.
Globalisation has also caused increased exploitation of Third World Countries.
We are constantly bombarded with globalisation in our daily lives through;
- Social Media
- Branding
- US TV-Shows
- Online Role Play
- Global News Coverage
It started off as a one to one interaction such as printing, newspapers and telephone calls, and then moved onto a one-to-many basis such as broadcast speeches, television and radio. Over the past twenty years has has changed to a many-to-many basis with the rise of the internet where social media, online games and social networking sites help spread globally almost instantly.
History of Globalisation
Power structures on a larger than national sale have existed for many centuries. E.G. Chinese and British empires.
Today, media globalisation is very different.
It occurs when activities take place on a global scale, not rational or regional.
They are deliberately organised on a global scale and involve some interdependency so that activities in different parts of our world are shaped by each other.It often involves media and technologies which is instantaneous.
Watershed Moments
In 1993 US President Nixon cancelled an agreement, Bretton Woods, which opened up the financial markets. This helped accelerate free trade and deregulation and a corporate capitalism which led to cheap labour in certain parts of the world. This process is called Newliberalism.
The second moment was 9/11.
The term 'Global Village' was invented by media theorist Marshall McLuhan in the late 1960s.
World satellite news channels are enabling a 'global public sphere' to emerge.
With globalisation there is no escaping western culture from the United States.
Traditional, local cultures are quickly being destroyed by external pressure from powerful countries such as the United States and United Kingdom etc.
There is a dominance of US advertising, especially of branding commercial media.
E.G. Coca Cola, McDonalds, Starbucks etc.
There is also a wide distribution of advertising/branding which funds media, causing desires for US style consumerism and fashions in societies where most people cannot afford to buy them.
E.G. Apple Products, Nike etc
US World dominance started in the 1950s but this has changed since the 1990s.
Japanese company Sony bought columbia and Tristar pictures in 1989.
Australian Rupert Murdock bought 20th Century Fox in 1986.
Asian culture has become very popular in the western world and now American movie studios are remaking many asian films such as Oldboy and The Ring.
Before are arrival of mainstream media from the USA and other developed nations, third world countries were enjoying their own brand of culture with authentic traditions. It was very difficult for the new western culture to break into some nations. People often mistake globalisation as an easy process of rendering the world all the same but in reality this simply is not the case for the entire world.
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