Week 5: Globalisation VS Localisation

The topic in brief
The hype now is about globalisation because it is affecting many fields. Journalism is one of those areas which feel the direct impact of the collision between globalisation and localisation. Journalists are not the only people in question here. Once again, news consumers are in the picture and they can be held responsible for contributing to the negative effects of the collision. Plus, the collision has brought journalism's relation to other fields, especially law, into light. The bottom line for the concerns over globalisation is that there is increased uncertainty for journalists in the global environment (Breit 2001). Interestingly enough, whatever positive effects that can be gathered from globalisation may actually turn negative. For example, globalisation spurred the developments of affordable Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which "break[s] down borders to create a global media audience" (Breit 2001, p. 214). However, the developments of ICT has led to the rise of "super corporations" which have the desirable freedom to dominate the global media. As a result of high concentration of media ownership, it is highly likely that there would be less diversed opinions. Often, those opinions reflect the owner's opinion. For example, the FOX News Channel reflects Rupert Murdoch's support for the Republicans. On the other hand, it is also possible that there might be positive effects brought by high concentration of media ownership:

"Diversity of ownership and diversity of source has never guaranteed diversity of opinion, and ... independent ownership has never guaranteed quality, just as group ownership does not guarantee the absence of quality" (Harris n.d. cited in Grattan 1998, p.9)

However, the above optimistic view is idealistic in this global village because it is up to those "super corporations" to impose ethical values on itself to ensure the diversity of opinions and information. Naturally, where power is involved, "super corporations" are more likely to exploit their position to profit than to uphold its coporate social responsibility.

In this week's seminar by Cheryl, Nora, and Thaza
Their presentation basically covers what I have summarised above. The following are my personal responses to their discussion questions:

Is the Internet a reliable source of information? Does it provide a platform for diverse opinion?
I think the Internet does contain reliable sources of information but I would not call it a solely call it a reliable database. The Internet operates in a web-like manner where users are channelled to sources of information and it is up to users to verify the credibility of those sources. It does provide a platform for diverse opinion and in fact it allows more freedom to do so but where the Internet is regulated like in China, for example, it might not be so.

 

Do you think the “super corporations” and their influence will penetrate the Asian markets?

I think the "super corporations" have the capabilities to do so because countries like Japan and Korea have lucrative entertainment industries which make good business. Japan and Korea also offer high-end media technology which will allow "super corporations" to operate conducively.

 

Additional comments by Mr Jimmy Yap

 

"What's the problem with globalisation for journalists?"

Nora: Standardisation of news -- news are shaped in a cause-and-effect manner.

• Media has agendas -- shape worldviews
• Media ownership laws
• Attempts to create alternative channels for he state to counter global voices -- Al-Jazeera VS Fox
• Murdoch's use of newspapers to influence
• TNCs operate across jurisdiction thus are able to undermine local jurisdictions -- what's defamatory in Singapore is not defamatory in US
• We tend to congregate around people who are like-minded -- people are aware of the biases and consume news that reinforces their worldview.
• TNCs might dominate views but do not own them.

Conclusion
In conclusion, while technology provides the media a global audience and corporate partnerships provide the media power, there is no global voice (Breit 2001). The standardisation of news is exemplary of the homogeneity of information.