International Mass Media and Communication

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International Mass Media and Communication

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            The main aim of this presentation is to shed light on the impact of the International Mass Media and Communication in terms of language and symbolic power. In an era of changing communication technology and systems, it is important to look at the impact this has on the international community. Knowledge is power and the medium used to transmit this power is therefore of great essence. The various media conglomerates around the world understand this fact thus investing heavily on International Mass Media and Communication. Do you know that Andorra has no broadcast television channels and that Bermuda has the highest televisions per capita? Interestingly, Norway has the highest newspaper circulation per capita in the world. China has the most televisions perhaps to match the fact that it also got the highest number of workers in the world (Nationmaster.com, 2008). These interesting facts underpin the role played by the international mass media and communication.

The international mass media has been used as a ‘foreign policy tool’ (U.S Congress, p.42) by powerful states to influence others. The U.S secretary of commerce in 1993 saw the economic opportunities that could be tapped from the international mass media and stated that there should be promotion and development of open and competitive international media markets. This emphasizes the importance of international mass media in today’s knowledge based global economy. The notable stakeholders in this sector are giant media corporations that include News Corporation, Time Warner, and Bertelsmann among others. They have monopolized the entertainment and information industry in the U.S and other regions of the world. Their success can be attributed to their enthusiastic reception of the international audiences due to their animated and up to date features.

The changes in global news and entertainment production and distribution are affecting the values, knowledge and norms of other cultures.  Industry studies on advertising public relations, television programming, and media expansion show that western corporate and consumer model best serves public information needs in the United States of America and elsewhere. International media expansion continues to alter social norms and cultural conventions throughout the world. This makes it possible for the pioneers of this project to mould and shape societies around the world in their wish for easier control and influence.

The International Mass Media and Communication has been a tool for the strong in the international system to spread and advance their interests. This as has been discussed is done through cultural imperialism and planned policies used on targeted markets. The power of the market is emphasized and there is a tendency to invest in regions that will be productive. Countries with high populations and prospective market are the target by the media conglomerates. International Mass Media and Communication is therefore a powerful tool of control that uses language, symbols and other features to achieve the intended objectives. Its impact therefore should never be ignored as it has a bearing on a large section of the international community.

Works Cited

Kamalipour and Artz Lee. The Media Globe: Trends in international Mass Media.           Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007.
U.S Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. Global Communications:         Opportunities for Trade and Aid. Washington D.C.:U.S Government Printing    Office, 1995.

Communication Initiative. World Congress on Communication For Development:           Lessons, Challenges and the Way Forward. Washington D.C.: The World Bank,           2005.
U.S Department of Commerce. Globalization of the Mass Media. Washington D.C.:       DAINE.
Shusterman R. Bourdieu. Boston: Blackwell, 1999.

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