Media Studies (9257) | Globalisation

Welcome to the World of Global Media!

Hey there! This chapter might sound complex, but don't worry. We are simply exploring how media—films, music, news, and games—travel across the world and the huge impact this movement has on the industries that make them.

Since this topic sits under the Media Industries section, our focus is on the economics, the ownership, and the control involved when media products go multinational. Understanding this is key to nailing those extended response questions!

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1. Defining Globalisation in Media Studies

When we talk about Globalisation, we mean the increasing interconnectedness of countries through the flow of goods, services, information, and, critically, media products.

What does Globalisation look like in media?

• The film you watch was produced in Hollywood (USA), financed in China, and streamed on a platform based in the Netherlands (Netflix).
• A song is created by an artist in South Korea (K-Pop) but becomes a global hit via YouTube and Spotify.

Key Term: Global Media Conglomerate

A Global Media Conglomerate is a company that owns multiple media businesses (like film studios, TV networks, publishing houses) and operates across many different countries.
Example: Companies like Disney or Comcast (which owns Universal) are textbook examples. Their reach is truly global.

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2. The Multinational Nature of Production and Ownership

The syllabus requires us to understand the shift towards large, diversified, multinational companies dominating the landscape. This is driven primarily by economic factors (the need for profit).

a) How Media Production Becomes Multinational

In a globalised industry, production is often dispersed to save costs and access expertise. Think of it like making a giant machine—you build the pieces where it's cheapest or where the best resources are.

Step-by-step example of global production:

1. Funding: A film project is financed by a US studio.
2. Production: Filming might occur in Canada or Eastern Europe because government subsidies make it cheaper (a process called 'runaway production').
3. Post-Production: Special effects (CGI) are done by a company in India or Australia.
4. Distribution: The finished product is distributed globally via the studio’s massive distribution network (cinemas, streaming services).

b) The Relationship Between National and Multinational Organisations

Globalisation doesn't mean local companies vanish; often, they are absorbed or partnered with the giants.

• Acquisition (Takeovers): Large conglomerates buy out successful national companies to gain market share, remove competition, and acquire local talent.
  Example: When an American streaming giant purchases a small, successful European production company, they gain access to that local market's audience and content library.
• Strategic Alliances: Sometimes, global companies partner with national broadcasters or producers to create content that feels locally relevant but has multinational backing.

Why this matters: If a major New York-based firm owns the largest newspaper in Singapore, the editorial decisions might be influenced by the economic interests of the global owner, rather than purely local concerns.

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3. Cultural Imperialism: The Global Flow of Ideas

This is perhaps the most debated consequence of media globalisation and is vital for your exam answers.

What is Cultural Imperialism?

Cultural Imperialism is the theory that powerful nations (often the US or Western Europe) use their dominant media output to impose their cultural values, beliefs, and practices on less powerful nations, potentially harming local culture.

Analogy: Imagine your local bookstore suddenly only stocks bestsellers from one massive foreign publisher. Eventually, local stories and authors might disappear because they can't compete.

Key Features of Cultural Imperialism:

• One-Way Flow: Media products primarily flow from West to East or North to South.
• Homogenisation: The media promotes a uniform, global culture (often capitalist and consumerist), leading to a loss of diverse cultural identities.
• Dominant Ideology: The media carries the ideologies of the dominant nation (e.g., representations of success, gender roles, political systems).

The Counter-Argument: Is it always 'Imperialism'?

Critics argue that audiences are active and don't just passively accept foreign values. This leads us to two important counter-concepts:

i) Glocalisation

This is when a global media product is adapted to fit the tastes, traditions, and language of a local market.
Example: A global reality TV format like 'Big Brother' or 'Got Talent' is produced using local contestants, local languages, and cultural references specific to, say, Indonesia or Brazil. This shows local resistance to pure foreign control.

ii) Hybridity

New media products often blend global and local cultural elements to create something new.
Example: Bollywood films often incorporate Western genre conventions (like musical numbers or superhero tropes) but maintain deeply traditional Indian themes and narratives.

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4. International Agreements and Regulation

Since media is a product to be sold, the flow of global media is heavily influenced by trade policies and government rules. This is a constant battle between large companies seeking free trade and governments aiming for protectionism.

a) Freedom to Trade Media Products

Global conglomerates (like Warner Bros. or Amazon) typically push for international policies that allow them to sell their products freely across borders without tariffs (taxes) or content restrictions.

• Goal: Maximise global revenue and audience reach.
• Argument: Restricting trade limits consumer choice and innovation.

b) International Agreements on Regulation (and Disagreements)

Governments and nation states often introduce rules to protect their own industries and culture from being overwhelmed by powerful global media imports.

Types of Protectionist Measures:

1. Quotas: Setting a minimum percentage of local content that must be broadcast or streamed.
   Example: Many European countries require streaming services (like Netflix) to invest a certain percentage of their revenue back into producing local European films and TV shows.
2. Subsidies: Government funding or tax breaks provided to local producers to help them compete against better-funded international companies.
3. Language Laws: Rules mandating that media (especially radio/TV) must use the national language for a certain amount of time per day.

This often leads to disputes between nation states and global organisations. For example, trade bodies might argue that content quotas are unfair obstacles to free trade, while national governments argue they are essential for cultural survival.