GLOBALIZATION AND MEDIA Globalization: world is becoming an integrated marketplace

1. GLOBALIZATION AND MEDIA • Globalization: world is becoming an integrated marketplace •  national borders less important •  transnational corporations dominate a global market • “time-space compression” • How is media being "globalized"? • Media ownership • Media content • Media access

2. Globalization most pervasive at level of organizing and creating media • Makes media more commercial, supported by advertising

3. Most countries produce own media culture… • but draw upon American models • “glocal” : “local” productions done with “global” forms • KEY QUESTION: Is globalization a process of cultural homogenization or hybridization?

4. Cultural impact of media and information flows: • Larger, more prosperous nations can create more media content than small, poorer nations • Cultural imperialism: when some countries dominate others through the media • Causes erosion of traditional culture and change • sometimes termed “Westernization” or “Americanization”

5. Conflict between • “free flow of information” and • “national sovereignty” idea that governments are entitled to assert national control over natural resources, culture, politics

6. GLOBAL MEDIA CASES • Music • Global industry based in US • Thriving national and regional industries • Cheaper so wider variety served • Major international companies also record and sell works by national artists

7. Film • Most globalized media and also most difficult to sustain on national basis. • Why? •  Expensive • Risky investment • Distribution channels globalized

8. Why have American films succeeded in variety of markets? • US market big enough to recoup costs • US audience diverse • Hollywood draws talent from around world • Hollywood studios control overseas distribution • Can other national film markets succeed? • If domestic market is large enough or film companies produce for a multicountry market

9. Television • All governments involved in controlling • “privatizing” selling government assets to private owners • Quotas limit amount of imported TV programming that can be shown. • “localized” media productions adapted to local tastes and interests

10. Is American media having less influence around the world? • Other nations are producing more programming • Media in many nations subsidized by government • Import of U.S. media limited in some nations • National and regional TV and music production increase because they are feasible economically and because audiences want them

11. Why Globalization ≠ Americanization • Regionalization: media through a geographical region • Language and culture more important than geography • Example: Europe & TV • Cultural proximity: desire for cultural products as similar as possible to one’s own language, culture, history, and values

12. “cultural-linguistic markets” build on common languages and common cultures that span borders Examples: Egyptian TV, film, music

13. Other reasons why Globalization ≠ Americanization Reduces culture to commodities Assumes what is “foreign” = national difference America is not the only global power Sees American culture as too monolithic

14. MEDIA, POWER, AND YOU! • Globalization of media and the question of cultural imperialism is about power. • Who has the power to: • Create media • Distribute media • Exhibit media • Censor media • Consume media