Due
to media globalization, wealthy corporations in the United States are able to promote
consumerist values across the world. It is thus necessary for governments and international
authorities like the United Nations to intervene in order to ameliorate this
issue.
Through
media globalization, multinational and affluent organizations in the US constantly
threaten freedom of speech and spread consumerist values worldwide. A majority
of all media is dominated by a very small percentage of wealthy corporations in
the US, which cover the voices of the majority and smaller organizations. Their
main interests are profits and to build an audience that is obsessed with a
certain lifestyle with artificial wants. The US, which is a wealthy country,
has the resources to produce the most media that promotes its consumerist culture
to the world (Hickman, 2007). Herman and McChesney (2004) argue that global media is still dominated by US
interests. Hence, a frightening
scenario of cultural homogenization can be foreseen; with a world giving way to
media dominated by Western values of greed and consumerism (United Nations Development Programme, 2004).
In response to these negative effects, other
governments outside of US can intervene by providing contrasting sources of information
from the mainstream media. Former American politician Howard Dean stated, “I
think democracy fails when people don't have the ability to get the kind of
information they need to make up their mind. Ideologically, I don't care much
for FOX News. But the truth is that, as long as there are countervailing points
of view available on the spectrum, it doesn't matter." (Third World
Traveler, 2004). It is therefore a valid suggestion for governments to consider
creating platforms that emphasize contentment and dissuade materialism. For
example, governments can organize awareness campaigns that highlight the real
definition of happiness as having good health and quality relationships,
instead of the pursuing high standards of living. Governments of other
countries can therefore alleviate the impact of media globalization by giving
people knowledge that is opposite from the American media.
Another way to alleviate the negative effects of
media globalization is for the governments around the world to collaborate with
each other and intervene internationally. This is because addressing the
concerns of media will require global and corporate policies. According to United Nations Development Programme
(2004),
all cultures share a commonality of basic values that are the foundation of global
ethics. This refers to the desire to
relieve the suffering and promote the belief in the basic moral equality of every
individual. Its
core elements include equity, human
rights and responsibilities, and democracy. These find explicit mention
in Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Taoism, and
other faiths. Thus, human development aims at expanding an individual’s choices
within a democratic framework that protects liberties, such as preventing minds
from being unconsciously molded by the American media. Based on these global
ethics, states have come together to endorse the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1995. It puts forward some
significant proposals regarding media, such as raising the idea of a tax on the
use of media, with the proceeds to be utilized for non-commercial programming
for international distribution, and questioning the growing concentration of
media ownership (Siochrú, 2004). Hence, international authorities can step in
to systemize the globalization of media through legal policies.
In
conclusion, multinational and wealthy corporations in US promote values of
greed through media globalization. Governments therefore need to intervene by
regulating media globalization and cooperating with other nations to mediate internationally.
In view of the widespread effects of media globalization, one needs to
reconsider whether economic development and social advancement have to mean the adoption of prevailing Western values.
References
Herman, E.S.,
& McChesney, R.W. (2004). The Global Media – the New Missionaries
of Corporate Capitalism. London: Continuum
United Nations
Development Programme. (2004). Human Development Report 2004 (Information
series No. 5). New York: United Nations Development Programme.
