Technology revolution – especially the Internet, has transformed the face of journalism remarkably. News, entertainment, infotainment, etc. are accessible globally, via the World Wide Web. Globalization and improved communication technologies has permitted large-scale media companies to join forces together. TNCs – Transnational Corporations such as Universal Studios and AOL Time Warner dominate the international flow of information in the journalism industry. Mass audiences, international media, cultural imperialism and technological advancements are all apart of globalization. On an international level, this has brought forth a new dimension however, the repercussion of globalization in journalism is a decline to the local media. Localization, classified on a national level as community, relevancy and proximity reverses the floe of globalization – pushing the local viewpoint.
McLuhan & Power (1992)’s perception of the ‘Global Village’ asserted that the speediness of communication via the electronic media reverberates the rapidity of our five senses. In layman terms, it means that telecommunication uplifts have greatly reduced the time and decreased the distance between people and places. For instance, the people living in Singapore are able to see and get wind of events that that is currently taking place in the other parts of the world, in a matter of seconds – often faster than what they hear of their own ‘villages’ and families. With this example, McLuhan contends that the rapidity of these electronic communication methods has allowed media audiences to react to global issues at a similar speed, to their normal face-to-face conversations (McLuhan & Power, 1992).
So, globalization of localization?
Globalization emphasizes on events that happen at the other side of the globe but local news stories suffer. And, this subsequently sparks bigger concerns such as a loss in cultural distinctiveness and modifications in conventional news values. Also, TNCs exert influence and control on an international scale as media ownership becomes more concentrated, affecting its integrity and authenticity of the news, which may be tainted with media biasness and personal agendas. McLuhan & Power (1992), asserts that not only has globalization foreshadowed localization, it has also threatened the integrity of journalism.
References
McLuhan, M., & Powers, R. (1992). The Global Village. Oxford University Press, USA.
Hi Jo,
ReplyDeletewell said on how globalised media reflects the rapidity of our five senses. It is certainly true that information and news reports are spreading almost instantaneously as it happens. Most people now demand up-to-date information delivered to our computer screen and citizen journalism will certainly facilitate this transformation in the media scene.
-Andy Wang
www.cmns3420andy.blogspot.com
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ReplyDeleteyo jo!
ReplyDeletei believe that globalisation and localisation can co-exist! why not? nevertheless globalisation of news, such that journalist get their updated news too easily from the shared news bank, may eventually develop their reliance and lack of credibility-check on these reports from the large established media superpowers. i guess the fact that globalisation of news bring about more coverage of the world fast is a psitive thing, yet, the true challenge lies with whether or not journalists are able to localised these globalised news, such as probably to develop stories base on an angle of interest of the public. :)