The world we live in is moving into an era of time in which physical and geographic barriers are being dissolved by developments in technology that allow the citizens of the world to communicate like never before. As our world becomes increasingly globalized, mass media has also changed in order to appeal to an audience that largely consists of global consumers.
According to Straubhaar (2009), globalization is the process that has reduced “differences that existed between nations in time, space, and culture” (503). In the book “Development and Social Change,” McMichael (2008) says that although globalization is experienced locally, as we “consume the experience of distant producers, so they produce our experience” (13). Based on these explanations of the globalization phenomenon, we can assume that globalization is shaping the way we consume media messages and thereby changing the way we live our everyday lives.
Social networking mediums such as Skype and Facebook allow citizens to connect with the world more quickly and conveniently than ever before. Radio programs from several continents and in many different languages can be streamed instantly over the internet, allowing listeners to consume the media globally. Even television reflects our changing society as programs produced all over the world are marketed and sold to channels that reach us in our very homes, utilizing subtitles to translate when necessary.
As evidence of the growing global market becomes more evident every day, it is my belief that not only does globalization affect media and mass communication, but in return mass communication continues to expand and influence globalization as well. My goal for this project is to research how mass communication has influenced or contributed to the globalization of our world, specifically the role of media in creating global consumers. I plan to look at different media sources and analyze how they appeal to a wide market that no longer has to be limited by distance. Through my research, I also hope to learn how a globalized mass media has begun to influence culture and look at the positive and negative effects that globalization and media have had on society as a whole.
To answer these questions, I plan to consult academic texts including “Globalization: a Short History” and “Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective.” I will also be looking at several articles and journals that discuss the roles of media in a global world, such as “The Global Citizen and the International Media.” I plan to use these sources to address and analyze contemporary issues that reflect the growing era of globalization and media that increasingly affects the way we live our lives.
Work Cited
McMichael, P. (2008). Development and social change: a global perspective (4th Ed.). Los
Moyo, L. (2010). The global citizen and the international media. International Communication
Osterhammel, J. & Petersson, N. P. (2003). Globalization: a short history. Princeton: Princeton
Straubhaar, J., LaRose, R. & Davenport, L. (2009). Media now: understanding media, culture
