GLOBALIZATION AND MEDIA: CREATING THE GLOBAL VILLAGE Sir Malit! The Communications Media • Communications media are institutions that specialized in communicating information, images, and values about selves, our communities, and our society. Typical media institution in modern societies are print media (newspaper and magazines), movies, radio, and television. The messages communicated by the media in some countries can be political or nonpolitical, religious or secular, and purely entertaining, but in every case they use symbols to tell us something about ourselves and our environment. Television and Violence • Television violence can destroy a young child’s mind. The effects of this violence can be long-lasting, if not never-ending. For some, television at its worst, is an assault on a child’s mind, an insidious influence that upsets moral balance and makes a child prone to aggressive behavior as it warps his or her perception of the real world. Other see television as an unhealthy intrusion into a child’s learning process, substituting easy pictures for the discipline of reading and concentrating and transforming the young viewer into a hypnotized nonthinker (Langone 48). Media Power and its limits • A familiar expression in modern societies is “information is power.” Because media control such a large and diverse flow of information, the have immense power. Questions about the power of media become especially urgent when one imagines what could happen if control of the media fell into the hands of groups that oppose democratic institutions. In such a case, could the persuasive power of the media be used to destroy individual and political freedom? Technological Limits • When media institutions are well differentiated from political and other institutions, it is actually quite difficult for powerful individuals or groups to manipulate mass audiences. This becomes even more true as changing technologies give people opportunities to choose the type of messages they receive via the media. Cable television offsets the potential for much greater diversity in program content: Viewers can watch everything from public affairs to PORNOGRAPHY. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Messenger, YouTube, and the internet also makes possible a wider range of choices. Social Limits • Another limit on the power of the media is the nature of communication itself. Researchers have not found a direct link between persuasive messages and actual behavior. People do not change their cultural values and norms just because the media tells them to do so. Instead, investigators have identified a two-step flow of communication. The messages communicated by the media are evaluated by certain respected individuals, who in turn influence the attitude and behavior of others. The Mass Media • The Mass Media also referred to as mass communication may be defined as a special kind of social communication characterized by a unique audience, communication experience and communicator. The audience is usually large, heterogenous and anonymous. The term “media” comes from Latin word, meaning, “middle,” suggesting that media serve to connect to people. Mass media occurs as communications technology (first newspaper, then radio, and television) spreads information on a mass scale. Importance of Mass Media • Mass media are important because they reflect and create cultural values and interest. Media attention to the Senate impeachment of Chief Justice Corona and the ouster of Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and China’s intrusion to the Philippine Sea suggests a deep cultural interest in value for, human dignity and territorial area of Responsibility. Coverage of the impeachment trial and ouster and the diplomatic protest (if there will be) has tremendous and such interest is also economic. The Impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona The ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes-Sereno FUNCTIONS OF MEDIA WARNING • A primary function of mass media is the ability to warn of impending danger. Television meteorologist broadcast sightings of hurricanes, tornadoes, storms and alert listeners and viewers take necessary precautions and provide up-tominute tracking of the location of bad weather systems. Without such warning, there is the possibility for tremendous loss of life and property. • The media are also instrumental in warning citizens of other hazards. Media personalities are always alert to warn the general public of potential dangers of cancer-causing beauty soap (those without FDA Permit), the potential dangers of China made Children toys, the health risk in taking the supplementary drugs, etc. Companionship • Television has produced a new category of friend: the media friends. These are people known to viewers who feel a sense of friendship with the performer, newscaster, and the field reporters. People who seem helpless with illness of their children, relatives and themselves go to seek help from the charity programs of giant television networks. The host will then endorse them to several kind hearted individuals who are willing to offer their services in the name of the foundation. There are many media personalities who are doing such favor to the needy from sickness to legal advice, love counseling, job placement and even problems of OFWs Agenda Setting • Media also set a cultural agenda for what is important. In the international scene, several media agenda setting occurred for civil disturbances in Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Syria and Bahrain in 2010 and 2011. The New York twin towers disaster will always be remembered by most Filipinos as several fellow citizens were part of that tragedy. The tsunami that struck Indonesia and Thailand are important events that awaken some audience of how nature takes it wrath over humanity over this modern civilization. Likewise, the Yolanda victims will always be part of the Philippine History because of the number of lives lost in the strongest typhoon that hit the country. The shocking death of Heath Leger, Michael Jackson, and other famous names in Hollywood are considered very important so people understand and vie life as a precious gift from the creator. Reality Construction • While agenda setting is concerned with emphasizing what is important, reality construction focuses on the interpretation and meaning of media event. Some broadcasters invite people who are expert in their field when media events are aired. For example, political analyst, sociologist, psychologist, legal experts, diplomats, and college professors are part of the debate and arguments and most of them are sharing their knowledge on specific topic raised by newscasters especially after winning or losing candidate won and failed in the presidential or senatorial elections. Surveillance • Surveillance, another function of the mass media, refers to the collection and distribution of information both within and outside a society. The evening television news is an overview of the happenings of the day. News reporters scan the environment for news events and report them in print or over the airwaves. Surveillance may also focus on particular events, such as presidential elections, impeachment trials, graduation ceremony of the PMA cadets, or disaster such as earthquake or sea mishaps. Socialization and Education • Media also involved socialization or the transmission of social heritage to the audience. The commentator of the automobile accident at the railroad crossing is providing a socialization experience in how to view death, governmental agencies, and public responsibility: death is tragic; preventable death is more tragic; government agencies respond to public pressure; it is appropriate to put pressure on government agencies; we are not brother’s keeper. Propaganda • Merton (1986) defined propaganda as “any and all set of symbols which influence opinion, belief or action on issues regarded by the community as controversial. He emphasized that the term propaganda, in the mind of the public, tends to imply a deceit or fraud. Merton observed that the most effective propaganda is not to tell people how to feel, but to provide them with selective facts and allow them to draw their own conclusion. Facts are easy to understand, have an attention-getting value, and are very easy to spread by word of mouth. Mainstreaming • Mainstreaming refers to a common outlook and set of values that exposure to television tends to cultivate (Gerbner, 1976). When heavy viewers of television are compared to light viewers, there trends to be a commonality of outlook among the heavy viewers. Regardless of political orientation, heavy viewers are more likely to be against homosexuality (especially when they see Rustom Padilla now talking about his sex change and appearing on television screen with new look as ladylike in contrast to his boy next door image during his heydays as macho actor), abortion and express concern and doubts on the sudden change of Manny Pacquaio as being over religious and preachy. Entertainment • The entertainment function of television is the purposeful development of programming for the sole function of providing entertainment for viewers. Any artistic, cultural, or educational value is secondary. Emphasizing the entertainment aspect of television, Home Box Office (HBO) which is available thru cable TV has begun a 24 hour all comedy channel. • Televising sporting events such NBA, Olympics, and World Cup is also a major entertainment feature of Television. PBA, NCAA, and UAAP and several sporting events are being broadcast all year round including boxing and regional games such as SEA Games and Asian Games. Advertising • The fundamental economic purpose of mass media is to sell an audience to advertisers who can induce to buy products. The primary target audience is the affluent, fairly well educated, and relatively young. In effect, mass media exist for corporations, which market their product through the media. MEDIA ETHICS Accuracy • The bedrock of ethics is accuracy, the reporting of information in context that allows people to understand and comprehend the truth. Objectivity • Objectivity is reporting facts without BIAS and PREJUDICE, including deliberate attempt to avoid interpretation. To be fully unbiased is an admirable but unattainable goal. Fairness and Balance • Fairness and balance means providing equal or nearly equal or nearly equal coverage of various points of view in a controversy. Fairness and balance often go hand in hand without accuracy and objectivity. Reporters attempt to investigate the many sides of a story. Truth • Although journalist cannot always unsure that their own stories are true, they can make an extra effort to be truthful and to avoid lying. Integrity of Source • A journalist’s story is only as good as his or her sources. In 1981, Janet Cooke, a 26 year old Washington Post reporter, worn a Pulitzer Prize for a front page article called “Jimmy’s World.” Jimmy was an eight-year old heroin addict. Soon after receiving the award, Cooke confessed that she has concocted the story. She returned the prize and left the Post (Folkerts & Lacy, 2001). • Reporters who become too loyal to source risk the possibility of being blinded and missing important cues to the story. Avoiding conflict of interest • Outside business, social and personal activities and contacts can subtly influence the ability of mass media professionals to conduct objective reporting. Ethical Problems of Global Journalist • Deceit • Conflict of interest • Friendship • Payola • Freebies • Checkbook Journalism • Participation in the news • Advertising pressure • Invasion of privacy • Withholding information • Plagiarism The relationships between Globalization and popular music • The impact of urbanization on the development of new genres and philosophies of music continues to be felt today. The sensational formation of One Direction (who just disbanded las t year) whose sales in concert reached billions of dollars erased and surpassed all previous records even during the era of Beatles, Bee Gees, the Eagles, and ABBA. The worldwide hit of Rapper Psy of South Korea in his Gangnam Style is an evidence of music innovation in form and substance that caters the worldwide audience. The rising of popularity of Korean Pop (KPOP) also from South Korea is a phenomenon. Popular Music Expansion and Transculture • Audiences today are seeking for the amusement and leisure; the pop music industry produces and packages pop music carefully in order to fulfill the consumers’ requirements. The interaction of global pop music breaks down the cultural and economic boundaries. In other words, globalization provides new opportunities for the pop music industry to expand the world market and gain huge profits. Music • We often hear the expression “Music is the universal language.” This means that even if two people do not speak each other’s language, they can at least appreciate music together. But like so many popular sayings, this one is only partially true.
