"Speedy international communication": "How international news rush from corner to corner worldwide"?(Part 2 and last part)

Le 12 mars 2012 par IVOIREBUSINESS - Time is money, also to some extent, time has got its space, therefore international news have got potential powers to change the political set up worldwide: In consequence, as far Europe is concerned, the

concrete and barbed wire of the "Berlin" wall were unable to prevent radio and television signals reaching the east from the west before 1989..."Spiritual pollution", as the chinese call it, could not be avoided! According to political analyst("Eberle" in 1990), the changes in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union have been as much the trimph of communication as the failure of communism...For better or worse, in the "global village", all the governments run the risk of being judged by the standards of the best! As a matter of fact, first world governments also face the problems of foreign penetrations of their airwawes: Countries with a tradition of state regulation of the media, such as "France" and "Great Britain", face a growing challenge from satellite broadcasts, over which they have no legal jurisdiction. Hence anxious governments are seeking to develop tighter international regulation of communications. This illustrates an important general point! As interdependence develops, often driven by technology, so governments seek to collaborate to try to retain or regain their traditional authority. Functional integration of which technological interdependence is a conspicuous example, stimulates political cooperation, but the political response tend to be slow, delayed and partial. Computers talk more easily across national boundaries than governments do. In any moves towards integration, politics more often lags than leads. For instance, unlike the United states of America coast-to-coast system, Europe's antiquated air trafic control system is based on national centres that hand over control of the flight to the next country as the plane proceeds: An integrated european control system is technically feasible, but politically complicated...Basically, the impact of the "global village" in terms of international communication, depends on wether a country is a "sender" as well as a "receiver" of communication. The prime example of a sender nation is the United states of America. In the same trend, international critics allege that american so called primacy in such fields as films and television enable it to spread american values in a form of cultural imperialism. As you read this, somebody, somewhere in the world will be watching films like: "desperate house wives"," "doctor house", "MIAMI experts", "Captain James T" "Kirk of the star ship enterprise", boldly going where no man has gone before! Moreover, a bottle of "COCA COLA", a packet of "Marlboro", also selecting dishes at "MAC DO" or "Kfc", and that gesture still remains a clear statement of high new fashion in some african metropolis such as: "Abidjan"(Ivory Coast) "Lagos"(Nigeria) "Accra"(Ghana), "MONROVIA"(Lineria) "JOHANNESBURG"(South Africa), "Harare"(ZIMBABWE), "Nairobi"(Kenya), even though such symbols are loosing appeal among health-conscious american citizens! Meanwhile, the centrality of american symbols to "world culture" eases the entry of american products into many a market; to relevant critics , this is "coca-cola colonialism" at work, based on an efficient communication! Moreover, for "receiver", countries , however, the impact of the "global village" is more threatening: Television is a window on the west, particularly for elite groups in a few african countries .But television and radio also affect popular aspirations. Mass communications increase awareness of inequalities with nations, between nations, and indeed, between the three worlds. In this connection, the world revolution of rising expectations is a useful, if glibe, phrase...Consequently, governments in the third world, specially in the whole AFRICA must confront populations that are aware of higher living standards elsewhere in the world. Both rulers and ruled realise that these standards cannot be achieved quickly, if at all; but the awareness of such standards is important in itself. Emerging nation-states also find it hard to develop a national identity among their people when television, one of the few national media in most developing countries, is filled with cheap and popular american television programmes. But in reality, one can be naturally fascinated by the american culture and be fond of americanism without any kind of alienation ! Therefore, every human being, regardless of color, creed and origin, has got the right to make a choice culturally in this new millenium of globalisation!

(Yves T Bouazo)