The Global and the Local in Media Cultures Media Globalization The Global and the Local in Media Cultures

The Globalization of American Culture Is globalization another term for Americanization? Justifications for this assumption: Communication hardware and software both owned by US transnational corporations. US entertainment (film, television, music, advertising) and information networks (news, documentaries, online information) have the widest appeal. These promote a shared media culture or a global village based on the English language and Western lifestyle. Amongst these communication mediums ‘Television’ plays a central role in creating this “global mass culture” by merging entertainment and information.

The Globalization of American Culture Consequences of cultural invasion: This Western mass culture influences the way people conceive their regional and national identities. The predominantly Americanized messages confuse them about their own identities. The practice of Consumerism has been globalized modeled on US commercial culture.

The Globalization of American Culture Rationale behind this Acculturation: US media products are successful worldwide because they are promoted and marketed by huge media conglomerates and the advertising industry. Children and young people are especially targeted and their impressionable age exploited. Products are especially designed and fashioned to attract these younger audiences. Between 1996 and 1999, more than 50 children’s channels were launched with the majority being in English. Children's television has a close relationship with global toy market as it is deemed central in expanding the demand for new toys.

Questioning the Flow of International Television Programs Global, not national markets are considered foremost while producing, marketing and distributing media products. Studies confirm that a one-way traffic of entertainment oriented programming from the Western countries to the rest of the world takes place.

Hollywood Hegemony: Rationale Hollywood films are shown in more than 150 countries and their television programs broadcast in over 125 international markets. This worldwide influence has awarded it the nickname of “ a little State Department”. Hollywood films fare best in theatres across the globe with the World’s Top 10 grossing films being from Hollywood. The demand for Hollywood films has initiated the growth of film- based channels in world markets, especially China and India. Trade liberalization has allowed nations more and easier access to media products. Economic growth, technological development and modernization in developing countries has allowed the dramatic increase and proliferation of Hollywood and US products.

Concerns for Cultural Diversity An imbalance exists in the global flow of media products – United Nations. Asymmetries in the flow of ideas and goods and the unequal economic and political powers of countries, industries and corporations causes some cultures to spread and others to whither - UNDP. The ‘standardization’ of programs on world TV screens and cinema’s will risk the disappearance of cultural and linguistic identities in societies around the globe. From the EU to the Islamic world, to China and India, concerns have been raised about the impact of media globalization or ‘Americanization’ of cultures. The US has always argued against regulating the global media market as it earns the most revenue from this industry.

English: the language of the Globe Since the past 200 years English has emerged as the language of global communication and commerce. The British control of more than half of the world communication cables and telegraph networks led to the popularization of English as the main language of international trade and services. US assumption of power over communication networks later, ensured the continuation of the English language. English is the main language of exchange in multinational interactions as in the United Nations, transnational corporations, international media including the Internet and scientific and technological publishing. English being the language of the colonial powers has psychological implications for many nations which consider it a language of power and prestige. English also plays an important role in the international publishing world where Western publishers determine the literary agenda of the world. A practice detrimental to the interests of the writers of other languages. Literature from the global South becomes visible internationally only when it has been chosen, published, translated and reviewed by Western sources.

Regionalization and Localization There has been a growing trend towards regionalization and localization of media content to suit the cultural priorities of audiences around the world. Transnational media corporations operating globally have to adapt their products to attract indigenous consumers and become commercially viable. Local cultural resources are utilized to promote their products as people prefer their own language over foreign ones. Therefore there is a trend towards publishing regional or local editions of newspapers and magazines and transmitting and even producing television programs in local languages. However the content of these programs remain standardized. This homogenization creates the impression of a McMedia being created, shaped by the globalization of media economics and pull of national cultures.

Global Media, Local Audience Global media messages are mainly of Western origin employing a range of regional and local strategies in their advertising and marketing efforts to gain maximum audiences. However imported program consumption is by no means a passive, receptive process. It has been observed that domestic programming tops the rankings over foreign material. People first ‘filter’ than reorganize what comes from hegemonic cultures, hen integrate and fuse this information with their own historical memory. However, those watching western programming might be few but they are generally those who hold the most power and influence (politicians, industrialists). These ‘Westernized elite’ will promote western values of liberalization and democracy as defined by the West.

Global Media, Local Audience The Outcome: The global-local cultural interaction is leading to a hybrid culture that blurs the boundaries between modern and traditional, high and low culture, and the national an global cultures. Such a phenomenon is called ‘glocalization’, characterized by cultural fusion. A result of the adaptation of Western media genre to suit local language, style and cultural conventions, using new communication technologies.