Is the Role of Mainstream Media Limited in a Globalized Society - Essay Example

Is the role of mainstream media limited in contemporary globalized society? Media and Technology have always been in tandem with each other as advances in one field have led to the progression of the other. Media has utilized technology time and again to strengthen its influence and impact on globalization. Key examples include the introduction of satellite technologies that revolutionised cable television and 24-hour networks and use of cutting edge technology by filmmakers. The growth of social media in the past decade has however added another dimension to the normal one-sided media. The power today lands in the hands of people who have become both the architects and focus of media, and are redefining globalization. The key question that this essay, analyses and addresses, is whether the role of mainstream media, in light of that has been limiting in today’s globalized world and how the power-shift towards social-media is affecting mainstream media. Introduction Of the three dimensions of globalization: political, economical and cultural, cultural globalization has been the face of globalization. It is partly because of concerns with economic and political forms of globalization (Robertson and White) and partly because of the active role that media has played in it. The speech of Boris Yelsen on the fall of Soviet Union, broadcasted by CNN satellite has been identified as the decisive moment of advent of globalization (Beck). Since then, Media has played an important role in defining, shaping and amplifying globalization. Marx and Engels contemplated that print media, known as the Fourth Estate, would be an important piece in the establishment of a democratic public body that catalyzes social change (Kellner and Pierce). The rise of global media with cable television, news networks and privatization of media further brought the world together. A number of networks became global in their outreach like CNN, MTV, HBO, ESPN, TNT, Nickelodeon, the Cartoon Network, Discovery, Disney, and many of these channels were translated and adopted as per local languages and cultures. Some scholars, however, have criticized this influence, as cultural imperialism as Western culture has been dominant in private media networks (Jan)(Thussu). Technological advancesand socia media The communication ecosystem of the industrial globalized society has been traditionally built on mainstream mass media, principally television, radio and the print press. These technologies have adopted the mass dissemination of a one-way communication from one-to-many. Since the late 90s, the extensive spread and diffusion of the Internet, mobile technologies, digital media and a diversity of social technological tools throughout the globe has transmuted the one-to-many communication network into interactive horizontal linkages that link the local with the global. New forms of social media (online media tools that enable people to communicate easily with internet to known people or a wider audience), such as text messages, tweets, blogs, communication forums, social networking sites, podcasts and wikis, tailor the flow of messages from many-to-many. This medium has provided alternative means for citizen communication, participatory journalism and globalization. Power-paradigm within mainstream and social media Power has played an important role for mainstream media to create an impact on the society. In his book, Why study the Media?, author Roger Silverstone states that media holds the power to influence and change the political processes(Silverstone). It is about the reach, representation – presenting, revealing and explaining, that gave mainstream media a commanding control over how things are perceived in different types of the world. Similarly, (Volkmer) in his book, News in the Global Sphere: A study of CNN and its Impact on Global Communication, asserts that global political communications such as that of CNN International have been a dominative force in creating a global public sphere and thereby a global civil society. However, the premise that was told on television, radio and print media would be perceived as a true, balanced and unbiased picture of what is going on in the world is losing its validity. With the help of social media, common people with no journalistic backgrounds, who historically were either the receivers or focus of media, have become the creators and distributors of news. Social media sites such as YouTube have shifted the power away from the hands of news networks to anyone who has something interesting to say. It has not only re-defined globalization with its second-by-second connectivity but also equalized the so-called cultural imperialism. Throughout the 20th century, broadcast media controlled the political atmosphere in most nations through transmitted nationalized culture, with an important exception of the United States, which established a commercial broadcasting media from the start (Kellner and Pierce). Throughout the 80s, the upsurge of neoliberal politics and satellite technology increasingly spread privatized media that in-turn led to the bloom of global media culture. It coincided with the superstardom of the United States, as western media outlets, mixing politics and entertainment, promulgated to the rest of the world. However, coincidently as the United States is struggling to remain a super-power, the role of media also seems to be limited. The 24-hour news channels are now sourcing the social media – tweets, videos and blogs to cover their stories. On the other hand social media has emerged to be the new face of cultural globalization as it increasingly supports development outcomes (access to markets, public service offices, financial services and employment); endorses transparency, accountability and a space for debate, on-the-ground firsthand accounts to advocate social change and transformation. The rippling effect of these tools is seen across geographies, languages and cultures that were earlier restricted to few reporters or news agencies. The power-shift towards new (social) media is evident from the fact that newspaper circulation has declined significantly and many media networks such as The Tribune, New York Times and The Washington Post have huge debt loads (Grabowicz). The intellectual importance of the argument that the role of mainstream media is limiting in the present day globalized society is immense. In my opinion, the changing phenomenon is bringing equality across the globe. The following specific examples of use of social media in global events will support the above arguments. Even though politics, economical and social environment of the world have been the major causes of these events, social media has been a unique catalyst and fuel that kept them alive and connected. Evidence of domination of social media in contemporary globalized world Arab Spring (2011- ): Arab Spring is a term given to a rippling wave of revolutionary protests that have been able to topple dictator regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. The spring spread across to Syria, Bahrain through civil uprisings and mass protests in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Oman. Social media had a huge role to play in this history defining moments. The Arab Spring heavily relied on the Internet, social media and technologies like Twitter, TwitPic, Facebook and YouTube in the early stages to accelerate social protest.(Social Capital Blog). The total rate of tweets surrounding political change in Egypt grew 10 times, as they demanded resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak (Taylor). Later, videos featuring protests, political commentary and live feed such as death of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, went viral receiving more than fifteen million views. Due to the growing violence and Arab leaders’ opposition to western media, conventional journalists were not able to cover details of Arab Spring as well as that of protestors themselves. Philip N. Howard, author of The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Information Technology and Political Islam, noted, “It was social media that spread both the discontent and inspiring stories of success…into the Middle East.” Occupy Wall-Street movement (2011): Occupy Wall-Street movement coalesced around the idea that it represented “the 99%” – as opposed to the richest 1% who were blamed to be both the architects and beneficiaries of the 2008 financial crisis. The protests started across the Wall Street in New York and later spread to Boston, London and even Antarctica. The online conversation about the Occupy Wall Street movement helped it turn global over just a weekend as Occupy protesters provided live Twitter updates, photos and videos from the dozens of demonstrations around the world. Twitter in particular had an important role to play as protestors used trending words like #OccupyLondon, #OccupyTokyo and #99% to help organize and stream movement information across the world. US Presidential election (2008,2012): Social media had a surprisingly high influence in the 2008 presidential election and demonstrated the emerging impact of social media on politics. Earlier constricted to demographics 18-34, who learnt and shared candidate information online, today 50 percent of voters from ages 34 to over 55 anticipating to use social networking sites to find news, information, and discussions on the campaigns. YouTube hosted first of its kind presidential debates where presidential candidates were asked questions from regular YouTube users and were streamed live on their website. Osama Bin Laden raid: The powerful role of social media was also displayed during and after the raid on terrorist, Osama Bin Laden. As rest of the media had no access or information about the raid, a 33 yr old Pakistani citizen was tweeting live about the raid describing helicopter noises, local disturbance and reaction to Osama’s death. Contribution to the field of study The above evidences clearly back my argument that social media is playing a much bigger and important role in current globalization scenario, a role that broadcast media has been playing over the past decades. Major News events that were chronicled strictly by professionals and printed on paper or transmitted through the air by the few for the masses, are not created, followed and shared by the public, the prime makers of history and global civic society. Participative journalism through social media today approaches instantaneous, multimedia communication networks, products and sources. This new form of journalism is undermining media networks and professional journalists’ monopoly on international news, compelling a re-evaluation of who creates, transmits and ultimately owns the news. It is developing a free global market of ideas that allows the participation of more high-tech information vendors especially within state-constructed media of Middle East or Cambodia. The changing scenario of media in a way is, however, excluding journalists and conventional newsmakers from directly witnessing the events they were supposed to report. Another important contribution of the growing power of social media is the outreach of globalization and its anti-imperialistic virtues. The Arab Spring episode, for example, was a history-defining moment created in the East, shared in the east and broadcasted to the rest of the world. Hence, it is leveling the field that historically was skewed towards western media and its influence across the world. Conclusion The rise of affordable information and communication technologies, such as mobile phones and the internet, and its increasingly high usage has expanded the public sphere; and shifted it from the institutional dominion to the new communication space. Social media being used as an organizing and mobilizing tool and as a medium for debate, dialogue and collective decision-making is revolutionizing the way media has been operating. These change are depicted by important contemporary events such as The Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, London Riots, Presidential Elections, Osama Bin Laden raids and various other demonstrations across the world. This change is skewing the power dynamics away from conventional media networks. Works Cited Beck, Ulrich. What is Globalization? Cambridge: Polity Press, 2003. Grabowicz, Paul. the transition to digital journalism. 29 March 2012. Berkeley graduate school of journalism. 31 April 2012 . Jan, Mirza. "Globalization of Media: Key Issues and Dimensions ." European Journal of Scientific Research 29.1 (2009): 66-75. Kellner, Douglas and Clayton Pierce. "Media and Globalization." Globalization, The Blackwell companion to. George Ritzer. Victoria: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2007. 383-385. Robertson, Roland and Kathleen E. White. "What Is Globalization?" Ritzer, George. The Blackwell Companion to Globalization. Victoria: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. 31-34. Silverstone, Roger. Why sudy the Media? London: SAGE Publications Inc, 1999. Social Capital Blog. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube’s role in Arab Spring (Middle East uprisings). 3 February 2012. 31 March 2012 . Taylor, Kate. Arab Spring really was social media revolution. 13 September 2011. 31 March 2012 . Thussu, Daya Kishan. International communication: continuity and change. 2nd. New York: Hodder Arnold, 2006. Volkmer, Ingrid. News in the Global Sphere: A study of CNN and its Impact on Global Communication. Luton: University of Luton Press., 1999. Read More