Croteau & Hoynes: Media/Society, 5th Edition Instructor Resource
Chapter 10: Media in a Changing Global Culture
Purpose and Goals of the Chapter
Earlier chapters have made cross-national comparisons, but the
issue of media globalization takes center stage in this concluding chapter. While it is important
to understand that media conglomerates now routinely operate in a global marketplace, and that
media technology now offers the opportunity to compress time and space in an unprecedented
way, this chapter also argues for a more realistic assessment of the nature of “globalization.” In
particular, the image of a “global village” is very misleading when we look at who actually
owns, controls, and uses mass media. Advanced industrialized nations continue to dominate the
Outline of Key Chapter Themes
Globalization involves (1) the compression of time and space through new communications
technology and (2) the worldwide dissemination of media products from many different
cultures.
The idea of a “global village” where everyone will have access to an international forum is
contradicted by the fact that media production, media content, and media consumption are
concentrated heavily in wealthier “developed” nations.
The evidence for the “cultural imperialism” thesis is mixed. The need for major capital
Chapter Outline
1. Globalization
Interdependence among the world
oCrossing the limits of time and space
oCrossing cultural boundaries
Media globalization
oInternational communication networks
oCulture and media contents more accessible to a larger number of people
oMcLuhan’s vision: “Global village”
Remains largely unfulfilled
2. The global media industry
Global products, centralized ownership
oOwnership and control of media production are largely centralized in a few mega
corporations
“Big three” dominates the global music industry
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Croteau & Hoynes: Media/Society, 5th Edition Instructor Resource
3. Global media contents
The cultural imperialism debate
oWesternization/Americanization
Products of Western cultures contain messages, values, and ideologies that
may erode the unique identities of other nations
oThe fight to preserve local cultures
Cultural exception in Europe
Cultural imperialism: Complications
oDoes not distinguish between different types of media
oAssumes a passive audience
oUnderestimates the role played by local media
oGlobal media corporations’ strategies
Promotion and distribution of Western artists as global superstars
Accommodating local cultures within an existing media form
The politics of information flow
oDominance by Western news services
A limited perspective reflecting the economic and cultural interests of the
industrialized nations
oNew world information and communication order
A call by poorer nations challenging the Western-dominated model of
4. Regulating global media
Problems with regulating global media
oNational governments and international organizations being pressured by private
capital
oGlobal agreements on trade circumvent national regulations
oThe borderless nature of the Internet
Regulatory efforts
oICANN, IGF
oNon-governmental organizations
oCitizen-powered media
5. The ubiquity of change and future of media
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Croteau & Hoynes: Media/Society, 5th Edition Instructor Resource
Change is a constant
oIndustrialization
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