Global Media

Do you prefer McDonald's over your traditional, local cuisine? That may well be the consequence of cultural globalisation. American fast-food restaurants, fashion brands and media outlets have conquered the world due to technological advances. Now, you may listen to world news from anywhere and at any time. This is the result of the emergence of global media.

• We will go over the influence of global media on society and explore some of the key characteristics and consequences of cultural globalisation.
• Then, we will explore the two main sociological perspectives on media globalisation.

Definition of media globalisation in sociology

First, let's explain what we mean by global media or media globalisation.

While the term media refers to all sorts of print, electronic and digital means of communication, global media includes all forms of mass communication that reach every corner across the globe - television, newspapers, radio, and social media (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.).

Influence of global media on culture and society

To answer how globalisation has influenced media, we first need to understand what cultural globalisation and its importance are.

Sociologists argue that cultural globalisation affected many areas of life, media being only one of them.

Let's go over some of the key aspects of cultural globalisation: migration, food, sports and entertainment.

Migration and global media

Migration refers to the process of people moving from one place to another with the intention of living there.

It is a process that has been happening for several decades. Initially, people and their cultures were transported across borders by military conflicts, missionary services, and trade. With technological advancements - transportation and communication, for example - the process of cultural globalisation has drastically intensified. People now travel to new places for economic opportunities or to start a new life.

Food and global culture

The spread of different cultural cuisines throughout society is another obvious example of cultural globalisation. We can now find food and drink from all over the world in diverse, multiethnic cities without ever stepping into those countries.

However, this also means that fast-food giants have become increasingly popular and have reduced the prevalence of local foods and eating habits.

Fig. 1 - McDonald's is one of the most popular fast-food chains in the world.

Sports and global media

Cultural globalisation has also led to the establishment of major international sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics. These events unite people together in a shared, global leisure experience.

Entertainment and global media

Television companies also market their shows, such as Big Brother and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, to worldwide audiences. They are hosted and telecasted across international borders. More recently, online streaming services such as Netflix have made watching shows and films from all over the world accessible in almost every country.

Global media consumption

We will discuss how consumption patterns and the importance of audience consciousness have changed in the age of global media.

Consumption patterns

In contemporary society, one can have shared experiences in terms of consumption patterns in nearly every major city in the world, regardless of individual cultures. This means that aspects of lifestyle - fashion, mall culture, leisure parks, car ownership, tourism, etc. - can be similar in cities that are very far apart geographically, e.g. in the U.S. and Asia.

Global consciousness

Audiences everywhere are now closely connected to what is going on worldwide through news media, as significant events are displayed in real-time.

In Anthony Giddens’ opinion, this helps develop a ‘global outlook’, and people can identify with and relate to global audiences. He describes the process of creating a global identity as cosmopolitanism.

The Importance of global media: Consequences

Some of the major consequences of the globalisation of culture and the emergence of global media have been detraditionalisation and risk consciousness.

Detraditionalisation

Giddens suggests that detraditionalisation has its importance when it comes to the consequence of globalisation. This refers to the phenomenon of people actively questioning their traditional values - religious beliefs, marriage, gender roles, etc.

The fact that people doubt their traditional beliefs and ideas reflects the thought that cultures have or are becoming less stable, losing their predictability and untouchability as it was before globalisation. People in modern society are familiar with alternative ways of living, thinking, and doing things differently.

Risk consciousness

Ulrich Beck (1992) points out the importance of global risk consciousness due to shared experiences. Global problems like terrorism, national conflicts, nuclear wars, global warming, etc., threaten populations living in different countries worldwide.

The consistent (often biased) media focus on such global issues has often caused widespread fear and apprehension around the globe. This has likely contributed to phenomena such as Brexit, which was somewhat based on anxieties about immigration.

However, from a positive perspective, increasing global movements and agencies have bound people together across borders to tackle pressing social issues.

Examples of global media culture: Theoretical perspectives

There are two primary theoretical perspectives on global media and culture: cultural imperialism and postmodernism.

Media in developing countries

Let us start by discussing what cultural imperialism means.

Cultural imperialism

The cultural imperialist perspective aligns with the neo-Marxist view and focuses on the negative effects of media globalisation.

According to cultural imperialists, globalisation through media is a process where American culture and values are imposed on other parts of the world. This is also known as Americanisation.

Fig. 2 - The popularity of Hollywood movies all over the world is a sign of Americanisation.

Cultural imperialists argue that the widespread nature of American culture might weaken local cultures and traditions in other countries. For instance, many people choose American fast foods, such as hot dogs and burgers, over their national/cultural dishes.

Another aspect that cultural imperialists consider is the negative political consequences of globalisation. People's lives are now saved as digital data, and with increasing data surveillance and tracking, political powers can use this data for corrupt purposes all over the world.

Global media: postmodernism

The postmodernist perspective considers media the central point of globalisation and focuses on the positive influences of media globalisation on society.

The globalisation of media has provided individuals with the opportunity to learn about diverse cultures across the world. This has helped them to reach beyond what is local and conventional and adapt to new cultures.

Media saturation has resulted in rejecting ‘metanarratives’ - the idea that there’s only one truth. People have become sceptical about ‘truth claims’, and less susceptible to manipulation by those in power.

Media globalisation has also inspired a participatory culture. The audience gets involved by creating their own content, and also by sharing and critiquing the content created by others on social media.

Spencer Thomas (2008) conducted a survey to analyse the difference in media coverage of protests held against military violence in Burma. His study concluded that very little media coverage was received in 1998 compared to that in 2007, with the advent of smartphones. The later protests received global media attention.

According to Thompson, global media products are influenced by the local and cultural products in different countries, giving rise to new forms of fusion. This process is known as cultural hybridity. A suitable example would be Bollywood, which incorporates both traditional Indian and (American) Hollywood influences.

Critiques of postmodernism

Post-modernists have been criticised for exaggerating the influence of global media, as people across many cultures still consider their nationality, ethnicity, traditions, and beliefs to play a significant role in their lives and identities. Cohen and Kennedy (2000) believe that people don’t easily give up their cultures just because they get familiar with elements of global culture.

Media is not the only determining factor in most people’s lifestyle choices. This is because many people are unable to make consumption choices due to the inequalities brought about by poverty, racial discrimination, patriarchy, etc. For instance, access to the internet is still not available to many because they cannot afford it.