JOURNALISM AND GLOBALISATION
Technological advancement
has led to massive changes in the way journalism occurs today. Mass Communication
propelled by the arrival of Digital technology, instant data transfer due to
the Internet, the new media and the Social networking forums have brought in massive
changes in the arena of journalism. News travels fast. News has become
globalised, especially due to the internet. Given the fact that most media
houses are today run by Corporates, International and Transnational
Institutions, Individuals with high share of investments, one cannot deny the
complexity in the web of transactions that is occurring on a day to day basis
at both national and international levels.
Globalisation
has contributed to massive changes in the flow of information. Journalism
cannot be explained today without linking it to the influence of Globalisation.
The new interconnectivity due to the digital revolution and the speed at which
information is passed has massively transformed the way journalism occurs. As
rightly put by Stephen Reese, “The globalization of journalism occurs through a
multitude of levels, relationships, social actors, and places, as they combine
to create new public spaces.”
(Reese, 2010)
- Globalisation,
writes Splichal, denotes the formation of a global system composed of a variety
of combinations among national, international and transnational institutions,
corporations, associations, individuals and other groupings, and refers broadly
to the increased complexity and interdependency of societies due to all kinds
of transactions across national borders, enabled by information, communication
and transportation technologies “but not simply triggered by them”.
(Igor Vobic)
- Global
connections support new forms of journalism, which create politically
significant new spaces within social systems, lead to social change, and
privilege certain forms of power.
(Reese, 2010)
- In simple words,
the Globalisation phenomena in relation to Journalism indicates the formation
of a complex communication system at the world level due to the interaction
between national, international, transnational, institutions, news agencies,
corporations and Individuals. The use of Global media basically means media
employed by multinational corporations that cater to reach out to audiences
globally. Herman and McChesney say that ‘Global media’ have been variously
defined as those having a global reach or in being owned by global transnational
corporations (Herman and McChesney, 1997).
It is a known
factor in India that owning a media channel in India is no more a one
individual entity, it is a complex business transaction of various stakeholders
whose needs are catered to simultaneously in the current scenario. Traditional
media can no more remain with the one-way perspective and has to make itself
and has made itself relevant by becoming digital. This has been largely
witnessed with newspaper turning to web, digital and social media platforms to
run the race, stay relevant and garner audiences who will read content. Media
houses have turned into multi-dimensional, cross media conglomerates who cater
to varied audiences through Traditional, Broadcast and New media across the
world due to accessibility. A news that is aired in India via different
channels can get picked up by countries abroad, due to the permeating digital
technology and new media forums that have made them accessible. It is easier
today for channels to have transactions with other channels to borrow news footage
or news snippets due to transaction possibilities midst business corporations.
However, the one
popular statement by Marshal Mcluhan that the world there is becoming ‘a global
village’ by might not be a complete fact. There is indeed a plethora of
information that is transmitted due to technological advancement, however the
concept of Global village, speaks of a unison in the consumption of data that
is provided and a similarity in the style in which the data is made for
consumption for the world at large. This seems to be a far-fetched idea. Despite
the varied amount of information transaction, journalism which has developed in
a technological approach by leaps and bounds is very much a product of local
culture, in the Indian context. In India, the local languages still continue to
hold popularity whether it be print, broadcast or Social networking forums. The
situation replicates in different countries while catering to their own masses.
While, there is
a massive flow of information that occurs due to satellite television, Internet
and Digital technology, the information before reaching masses goes through the
process of massive gatekeeping, coloured and presented in a style and format
that appeals to the audience or the recipient of this information especially in
the case of traditional and Broadcast media. Thus, there are varied
perspectives of Globalisation effects on journalism which need to be studied
while discussing this topic.
MEDIA GLOBALISATION:
Historical perspectives
CONTEXTUALIZING THE FOUR THEORIES OF THE PRESS
Historically,
there have been various theories that have contributed to the study of
Journalism and Globalisation. These include the Four theories of the press and
the Modernisation Theory that has been a part of Journalism and Mass
Communication studies for ages. The Four theories of the Press popularised four
dimensions of Journalistic practices that were being followed in various parts
of the World. In the aftermath of various changes that have occurred in
different parts of the world including wars, political skirmishes, Divisions
and turmoil, the theories have to re-interpreted and re-drafted for today’s
world.
While, The
Authoritarian theory, The Libertarian theory, The Soviet Communist theory and The
Social Responsibility theory provided an explanation of media functioning at a
given point of time, but have today turned out to be merely a part of
historical Data with barely little relevance in today’s technological scenario
according to many scholars. Igor Vobic says that the “Four Theories of the
Press, which became a landmark study of journalism through broader societal
prisms for the next forty years, but, over the last decade or so, has been
widely accused of theoretical shallowness and unsubstantial conceptual
uniformity in its generalisations on media, society and cross-national
dynamics.”
This holds true to many parts of the
world including India. Media in India initially was an embodiment of Self
Responsibility and a Democratic tool working as a fourth pillar that kept the
other three pillars of the judiciary, the executive and the legislature in
check. However, the Broadcast media was always
a tool of the government as it was considered a public broadcasting
service in India in its initial stages. Its privatisation of media that led to
commercialisation and globalisation of Indian media. So, the model of the Four
theories needs to be re- read in the light of the Indian Context. While Social
Responsibility with Self Regulation has always been the underlying factor for
Print media, Broadcast was initially a puppet of the Government, and continues
to be so in the case of National Broadcast media like Doordarshan, LokSabha TV,
Rajya Sabha TV, and the All India Radio (Aakashvani) na dthe FM channels run by
Prasar Bharti. With the dawn of Privatisation and commercialisation, Slef
Regulation and Ethics, Accountability and Objectivity of News has become
questionable over a period of years. Thus, in the Indian context, one needs to re-define
a new theory that suits the situation.
MODERNISATION PERSPECTIVES
The Four
theories of the Press Model was followed by the modernisation perspective which
expected a westernised style of development model and the use of Mass media to
perpetrate such a model which did not take into consideration the existing
wisdom of the land. It was considered to be a kind of Americanisation of media
and media content that was unidirectional. However, As Igor Vobic rightly puts
it, “Since the 1980s and 1990s, the centralised dynamics of change across local
boundaries, facilitated by fuzzy concepts of Americanisation or Westernisation,
have been criticised by the counter argument that global flows are
“multidirectional” and that the simple image of Western political, economic and
cultural domination obscures the complexity, reciprocity and unevenness of its
interaction between local and global .
The same can be
spoken about the Indian continent. In India, although the initial experiment of
Television was initiated with a high amount of scepticism and a strict control
on the airing of programmes which were mostly educational and gradually
transformed into a means to educate, reform and transform due to projects like
the Kheda project which were initiated by Vikram Sarabhai (a scientist) and his
vision. The concept of Journalism was viewed as a respected profession, especially
due to the role of traditional media in the freedom struggle. This was followed
by a period of proliferation of the Press and media as it turned profitable due
to Advertisement revenue and an increase in readers. Despite the curbs that
were initiated during Emergency and war, Journalists proved it time and again,
that media was the fourth pillar in Democracy. It was only in the late 80’s and
early 90’s that commercialisation stepped in and television was transformed.
The arrival of
the cable TV did temporarily lead to a lot of western content gaining
popularity which acknowledged the modernisation theory. However, this was not
for long as India found its own local cable and satellite content through the
commercial channel Zee which transformed the scenario. This commercialisation
of not just tele programmes and entertainment reached the limits when Private
News channels with large local and international investments were permitted to
air news. This was the step by step beginning of a globalised approach. The entire
process which initially saw Globalisation as an influence of content that is
westernised gradually got transformed into glocalised content. Content was made
palatable to the Indian audiences. That brings us to a sub topic in the
phenomenon of globalisation and that is Glocalisation.
GLOCALISATION
Global village leads
to an idea of Homogenised content. However, this not the fact. Most content is
not homogenised, rather it is domesticated, which has led to the rise of the
term Glocalisation. There are many globally popular channels that run their
local versions in India. For instance BBC Hindi, CNN IBN, etc.
‘Glocalization,’
a popular concept in this literature, can be seen not as the inevitable
interplay between local and cultural forces from a distance, but as the uniform
imposition of a global (village) standard across a range of local
circumstances. These interpretations, however, obscure the real complexity of
globalization.
While Stephen
Reese says that “The impact of globalization on news in India, when understood
as glocalization, can be interpreted as a set of practices in which the local
media have absorbed the global, rejuvenated the local, and given audiences
possibilities of strengthening democratic discourses.”
However, true this might be in case of Print Media and certain Social Media
platforms like Blogs, It may not be a fact with regard to Broadcast Media.
Indeed, India is a democratic country and much of Print Media still holds up
the values, but Broadcast Media in most cases has succumbed to the pressures of
Capitalism.
India has a hub
of channels where content is glocalised in multiple languages and packaged
aptly catering to what the audience wants (not what the audience needs) based
on the socio-cultural practices of the place or state in which it is being
aired.
Glocalisation and the Indian Scenario
Media in most
places follows the same perspective. It is often designed to cater to the
people of the place. News picked up from any corner of the World when reported
in Indian media is often given the Indian twist. Often in today’s arena, news
journalism caters to the advertisers, Politicians and the corporates. News
Journalists have become a prey to subjective Journalism choosing the voice of
their sponsors and their own personal biases over factual and accountable
information. The interference of Politicians in India has turned many media
channels into news promoters of particular parties who sponsor them. Information
flow of Global news is very poor in national news channels. Global news has
been reduced to a very brief mention of particular issues of chosen countries
after gate keeping. In most cases, Journalists in India have been accused of
cantankerous debates, dramatization of issues, especially those involving
neighbouring countries like Pakistan, and bowing down to political pressures.
The term ‘Godi’ media a term to indicate lapdog journalism has been framed in Hindi
for many national news channels.
Satellite
television however, is a boon for Globalisation with a multiple number of
channels that can be accessed makes available counter-flow news information
with the availability of channels like Al Jazeera and BBC. Many Indian National
TV news journalists and news channels have been accused of reducing News
journalism to debates based on twitter statements or statements made by
politicians against each other. In a few cases of National catastrophes like
floods or other major issues are journalists sent to cover up stories. On foot
journalists have been reduced to a bare minimum to reduce expenses of many news
Channels. It is has become a child’s game to identify which political party a
particular journalist supports in the manner in which news stories get covered
and narrated.
Global news is
mostly available on Digitised and Internet platforms. And those with easy
access to the internet can read the same. But this doesn’t apply to a major
portion of the country who are from rural pockets. Furthermore, those accessing news, access
local channels and local languages. Thus Global news is a very rare occurrence
on Indian news channels, which barely cover the news from India itself. Albeit
the fact that International news that could affect international policies
relating to India, the Trips by the Prime Minister to varied countries, etc does
find space on our channels and so does News that includes gross murders, blasts
and threats. But these are usually time framed into small snippets.
Sting operations
by Social Media journalists who have a social media platform called Cobrapost have
also revealed how major cross media conglomerates were willing to compromise
their news content for a huge sum of cash. Instances such as these have wrecked
the standards of journalism, the content generation and the authentic flow of
intelligent news.
News channels
have also brought various infotainment means including debates mingled with
Quawwalis ( an Indian art form of music) where along with the politicians, two
teams of Quawwali musicians debate in song supporting each party. Cartoons that highlight political situation
are also popular. News journalists in some local channels have gone to varied
heights to dramatize news. This was seen in the latest Pulwama incident. Where
news rooms on certain channels were made to look like war rooms and journalists
dressed in soldier uniforms presented news. A gross mockery of the incident
which received a huge amount of flak from the citizens of the country.
CONCLUSION
Domestication
and Glocalisation is today an accepted phenomenon. And, the same applies for
other countries as Stephen Reese says, “Certainly, the foreign news most people
receive, even about big international events, is domesticated through the
national journalistic lens. Indeed, international reporting, as a key component
of the would-be global public sphere, flunks Hafez’s ‘global test,’ incurring
the same criticisms others have levelled for years at national journalism:
elite-focused, conflictual, and sensational, with a narrow, parochial emphasis.
If ‘global’ means giving ‘dialogic’ voices a chance to speak to each other
without reproducing national ethnocentrism, then the world’s media still fail
to measure up.” (Reese, 2010)
Globalisation and
journalism are thus interconnected but with various dimensions that make it a
complex phenomenon to explain in a consistent limited vocabulary. Globalisation is easier defined within the precincts of Information and Communication Technology wherein, news journalism is easily accesible on the Internet. And countries can access news channels and news from varied corners of the earth due to the internet. However, this information doesn't guarantee a complete understanding of news as the interpretations differ depending the politico- socio -cultural understanding of people. However, in the content of Broadcast media, one has to note that most national and local news channels, domesticate the news. Those international channels which can be accessed due to the cable and dish antenna are the alt source of news that permeate a global reach and a globalised information process.
