Media in a Global Context

War & Diplomacy Ideological & Cultural Transmission News & Information Entertainment Profit

Prominent Uses of Communication at Global Level

Integrally linked with history of war and commerce (technological leaps in communication).

Extent of empire as indicator of efficiency of communication.

Communication and Empire

Ancient Empires Asia: India, China Middle East: Persia, Egypt Europe: Greece, Rome

Modern Empires Britain (BBC) United States (Voice of America)

Counter-Empire New World Information Communication Order

Communication and Empire

Authoritarian Western Communist Development Revolutionary

Types of Media Systems (Common Categorizations)

UN General Assembly Resolution passed at its first session, December 1946: “Freedom of information is a fundamental human right and is the touchstone of all the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated.”

Internationalization of Western Concept

Libertarian Model Lack of government interference Market-driven

Social Responsibility Model Media should inform citizenry Government can intervene if media doesn’t

fulfill its role Public should have some access to the press

Western Model: Differing Approaches Within

Press freedom in U.S. Minimalist tradition. Constitution restrains government. Right of expression almost absolute. Freedom of press is absence of prior restraint

with some accountability after publication. No right of access, guarantees. No official recognition of journalists

Western Model: United States

Tradition of government activism and intervention. Press commissions, ombudsmen, oversight

boards. Controls on content – advertising, children’s

programming, right of reply

Western Model: Europe

Serving the public good vs. public desires Marketplace Public oversight Government intervention

Huxley vs. Orwell

Problems for Western Model

Freedom House criteria for freedom of the press: Legal environment Political influences Economic pressures

Map of Press Freedom (2014) 197 Countries/Territories 63 (32%) rated “free” 68 (35%) rated “partly free” 66 (33%) rated “not free”

Rankings

Press Freedom

Reporters Without Borders Reports of violations form the basis of criteria

Map of Press Freedom (2014) 180 Countries Rankings

Press Freedom

Globalization of the media Rise of moguls Anglo-American dominance

Language News Pop culture

Culture as basis for conflict

Recent Global Trends

Global Media Empire (News Corporation) Vertical Integration

TV (Aided by Satellite Technology) Newspapers Magazines Books Movies

Live sports plays key role

Citizen Murdoch

From the 1999 News Corporation Annual Report: “Virtually every minute of the day, in every

time zone on the planet, people are watching, reading and interacting with our products. We’re reaching people from the moment they wake up until they fall asleep.”

The Sun Never Sets on Rupert Murdoch’s Empire

Recent Example: Violence in France (January 2015) 12 killed at satirical magazine, “Charlie Hebdo” Had previously been firebombed in November

2011 after running a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad

Universality vs. Pluralism

Cultural Conflict