The Historical Context of International Communication - Essay Example

?Summary The Historical Context of International Communication Empires of the world were possible due to effective means of communications. From old empires to Western Colonial empires all have effective means of communication as a common factor. In contemporary Colonial era the first major communication device was telegraph, which was used to exploit trade and war. Fast communication also helped in developing journalism, newspapers and news agencies. The developments in film, advertisement and radio ushered a new era in communication and mass culture. Radio as a propaganda tool was first utilized by former USSR and then all the nations of the world followed the suit. Communist and capitalist propaganda used radio all over the world to promote their point of views. Third world countries used communication tools for promoting health care, education and culture. Third World countries genuinely felt the disparity in communication technologies between developed and developing countries and demanded for more just treatment. The MacBride Commission is the result of such efforts by Third World. The commission called for impartial, balanced and responsible reporting. USA opposed the commission as it deemed it more pro Soviet Union. The opponents called the proposals as instrument against freedom of press and information. This opposition came to an end with Soviet disintegration. Opinion The chapter is a detailed look at the role of different communication devices through out history and world. The writer presents different facts and figures from ancient time to colonial era in order to press the point that communication is vital aspect of any empire. The writer then discusses in detail the impact and role of telegraph from 19th Century onwards on different social and political aspects of the world. The writer then relates the development of journalism and radio with telegraph in 20th Century. At the end the writer gives a detailed look at the impact of radio during the Cold War. The chapter is according to the title and it gives a very detailed look at the historical development of international communication. The data regarding length of cables of telegraph and the spread in different areas of the world may confuse the reader but the information is very helpful in understanding the development. The writer has used simple language and starts from ancient time in order to present the main argument. The writer is able to give a cursory look at the ancient history and then focuses on colonial era in order to make argument clear. Overall the reader may find the data presented in the chapter a bit taxing but for scholarly purpose the chapter is very well documented. The logical sequence and development enable the involvement of the reader. The writer overlooks television and internet but still the effort is very good. Summary : The Technology and Society Science has brought many changes in the society. In order to investigate the issue of social changes and scientific discoveries there are two schools of thought. One group attributes all the changes in the society to the scientific inventions. For them scientific discoveries produce change in the society. The other group takes a less radical view by stating that changes in the society are going on the new scientific inventions just contribute in these changes. Both of these views take technology and society in isolation. Military and commercial needs forced improvement in communication. These social factors were to great extent satisfied by the development in the field of telegraphy, telephony and early stages of radio. The need of addressing masses in new political world gave power to press but this political urge was satisfied by television. This complex situation set the stage for broadcasting. The use of different broadcasting tools for social communication and political manipulation greatly influenced the rapid technological advancement in the field of communication. Political stimulus and economic benefits made television a popular medium for bringing change. Therefore when it is said that television has changed our world most of time people forget the complex background. Opinion The article “The Technology and the Society” is a well written article. The article is written for the readers having background knowledge. The start of the article gives clue to the reader that the article is not intended for taking simple view on the issue of social change and technology. The writer gives a very broad picture about multiple factors which are responsible for making the relationship between social change and technology. Article is divided into three portions in order to tackle different aspects of the issue in comprehensive manner. In the first portion a list of general understandings is given, which are normally taken by people when talking about change brought by television or any other technological invention. The terms “technological determinism” and “symptomatic technology” are introduced and explained in very effective and crisp manner. In second portion the writer discusses the social history of television as a technology. In very logical and connected manner the writer is able to show the relationship among different technological advancements and social changes. The writer proves the point that no single factor or event can explain the changes which are brought by television. The last portion of the article is about the social uses of the television technology. In this part the writer has explained multiple factors, which are instrumental in making the television a phenomenon for change. The writer has been able to present his point of view in clear logical manner. The writer is able to support his opinion by historical facts and integrating multiple factors. Summary : Time, Space and the Telegraph Telegraph revolutionized the world of communication by its speed and reach. Before telegraph the use of line-of-sight telegraph started in France and the purpose was to connect the country, which was expanding after the Revolution. Telegraph changed the whole notion of time and space. The first major utility of telegraph was in the field of railways, where it was used in order to avoid accidents on single tracks. The importance of telegraph in the field of commerce was realised by the impact it had in dispatching information. Before telegraph the prices of commodities depended on local conditions but with telegraph local conditions no more exercised influence. At the early stage national and then international factors came into play for determining prices of different commodities. This decrease in arbitrage is the main contribution of telegraph. However telegraph started future trading. Future trading greatly influenced changes in the traditional market and these changes included moving information faster, making prices uniform and grading products. This changed situation was a breeding ground for capitalism and therefore Karl Marx mentioned it in his work. Telegraph changed the world of commerce by introducing time factor therefore after telegraph the world was divided into different time zones. Opinion The article, “Time, Space and the Telegraph” is written with fast pace and the main focus of the writer is on the influence of telegraph upon the world of commerce. The writer has mentioned the factor of speed at the start of the article and he continues to move from one idea to another with pace. This pace does not hamper the reading rather it helps in making the author point clear. He gives different examples from American history to show that telegraph greatly influenced the style and mode of trade. The author mentions one influence after another and is able to connect them in very systematic manner. The reader may find it very interesting to look at the telegraph in very different light. The relationship of telegraph with future trading and then the influence it generated in creating environment for capitalism is presented by the writer in very impressive and convincing manner. The writer is able to convince the reader by referring to historical data and facts again and again. The speed at which the writer moves from one idea to another suggests that the target readers must have background knowledge. Writer is using simple vocabulary and this greatly helps in maintain fast speed. The article is very compact and it clearly shows great skills of writer, who is able to combine different ideas and facts in small article. The freshness of thought and originality of idea gives the article an attraction, which is hard to resist. Summary : September 11 and Logistics of Communication September 11 attack started a new era and changed the world. The cause for this change was the style of attack. It was attack on the symbol of capitalism, it was planned in such a manner that many in the world saw it in real time and twin towers destruction represented same attack twice. The message conveyed was clear and strong. Destroying two identical buildings one after another was for the purpose of telling that attacks like this can happen again as there was repetition of action. When atomic bombs were used twice against Japan the result was start of atomic age and end of World War similarly when two buildings were destroyed one after another it was start of new age. September 11 attacks also changed the communication style. The mobile phone was used in this tragic event tells about the impact of this scientific invention. People involved in the tragedy had communicated with people on ground and Flight 93 passengers took decisions by the live transfer of information. The impact of mobile phones on modern world is far more than internet because of easy use of mobile. The new kind of socialization and networking is making new world. Opinion The article, “September 11 and the Logistics of Communication” is presenting an aspect of 9/11. The views presented by the author are regarding the impact of 9/11 on the world and especially on communication. The writer in the first part discusses the impact of 9/11 on the world in general and imagination in particular. The second part is regarding the impact of mobile phones. The writer gives statistics about the increasing usage of mobile phones in the world and the way it is competing with the internet. The writer then relates the use of mobile phone in tragic events of 9/11 then comes to other impacts of mobile. The writer is able to present his point of view in clear manner. Readers may not agree with the relationship of 9/11 with mobile phones but the writer is making his point valid by presenting a case from the event. The writer could have discussed the impact of mobile phones on society and individuals in more detail but he opted to focus mainly on 9/11. Writer quotes different authors in order to present his case but his main argument that 9/11 has brought significant change in the imagination of the people is not on very strong footing. The world no doubt has changed but the opinion that it has transformed imagination is not very convincing. The tangible changes brought by mobiles are not given enough space in the article. The writer has presented a different approach but he took minor for major. Part B Communication is an important aspect of human life. The value of communication is evident from the history of the world. Four different articles focused on different modern communication devices. All the articles have tried to make the point that major changes have been brought by these different devices. Compared with other articles the main focus of these articles is on the impacts of communication devices. Other articles discuss the issue of media and communication in the context of East and West. The most important aspect of the modern communication devices is the speed and reach. Telegraph can be termed as the first major scientific invention resulting in major change in social and political life of the world. The use of telegraph, radio, television and mobile phone have played major role in modern communication and there is no denying the fact that our world has been revolutionised by these scientific devices. The impact of television and mobile phone is for everyone to see in modern world, however the use of radio in developing world is still as effective as television is in developed world. The change which was brought by telegraph is least felt by modern man as he is in the era where telegraph has been replaced but the contribution it has made for the modern world needs no illustration. World War II resulted in great political change in the world. The role of former colonial powers started to diminish and they were replaced by USA and former USSR. The mushroom growth of newly independent countries from former colonies also changed the dynamic of international politics. The domination of Western countries in the field of communication was felt by newly independent countries of the Third World. Scholars from developing countries advocated for more share in the field of communication. They also pointed out the fact that communication terminologies and notions need change after the arrival of newly independent states from Asia and Africa. Cold war era witnessed the development of radio and television to new heights. They became popular with governments as they are very effective tool for propagating ideas and ideals. The domination in the field of communication by Western countries during Cold War was resisted by Asian scholars in general. The rich heritage and culture of Asia was considered enough for Asian countries to develop their own style of communication. However there were scholars who understood the impact of West and therefore advocated for more moderate approach. “ The global average of 160 television receivers per 1000 population actually ranges from a high of 800 per thousand in North America to a low of 23 per thousand in the noa-Arab states of Africa.” (Sreberny, Annabelle, 2000) refers to the domination of the West in the field of communication and media. From the number of television sets for population to the leading media groups to the capital value of different media ventures. All of them clearly illustrate the fact that West is far ahead of Third World. The image of Asia in popular Western media is still that of colonial era, which needs to be changed. The rich culture and heritage need to be presented and ideals of communication are to be modified according to Asian standards. In East Asia Singapore is presented as an example to show the different impacts of modern media.” Singlish mirrors a people experiencing an identity ?ux, not really knowing who they are and what cohesive set of values and beliefs to attach themselves to as a community”( DEBBIE, G. E. HO 2006). While for Terence Lee the new communication devices are tools of controlling population. On the other hand Wimal Dissanayake and Ziauddin Sardar are presenting a picture which totally ignores the suppression by government and emphasis on globalisation. Similarly Audrey Yue gives a very positive picture of Singapore while relating its success in the field of modern communication. First four articles are written with the intent to make the impact of different communication devices clear to the readers. Other articles are mainly about the concerns of Third World regarding the domination of Western countries. These later articles help in understanding the concerns and fears of developing world. They also help us in understanding how different communication devices can be used by governments for their own benefit. All articles are connected because as a whole they give us a bigger and clear picture. Works Cited Daya Kishan Thussu, International Communication ,2nd Ed. Blooms Bury Williams, Raymond 1974, The technology and the society, Fontana, Hanover. James Carey 1999, Time, space and the telegraph, Longman, New York. Michael Galvin 2003, ‘September 11 and the Logistics of Communication’, University of South Australia Continuum: Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, Vol. 17, No. 3, 2003 Sreberny, Annabelle, 2000, The global and local in international communications, 3rd Ed. Arnold ; Oxford University Press, London. Ziauddin Sardar, 2002, A-Z of postmodern life : essays on global culture in the noughties, Vision, London. DEBBIE, G. E. HO 2006,‘I’m not west. I’m not east. So how leh?’ English Today 87, Vol. 22, No. 3 (July 2006). Wimal, Dissanayake 2009,’ The production of Asian theories of communication: contexts and challenges’, Asian Journal of Communication, Vol. 19, No. 4, December 2009. Terence, Lee 2003, ‘Internet Use In Singapore: Politics And Policy Implications’ Audrey, Yue 2006, ‘ The Regional Culture Of New Asia Cultural governance and creative industries in Singapore International’, Journal of Cultural Policy, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2006. Read More