Restrictions on information flows around the world make it
difficult to feel truly informed, how do we know who to trust. The gap between poor and rich countries
creates a considerable difference in communication channels globally. Where Australia may be able to reach every
citizen within a day, many African countries lack the resources for mass
communication. (Fitzgerald, Hayer & Thorp, 2011) Information channels are
not only distorted for this reason. The
fact that only a few media groups hold the keys to global media is
concerning. Who is to play the devil’s
advocate; who will give a different perspective on global events? With these groups controlling television,
radio, newspapers and books there is only really one other place to look to;
the internet.
With much of the globe
unable to access the internet and the rest of it too busy to research and
question the credibility of the information, how often do we develop our own
perspective on events instead of been spoon fed it by the media. Recently I
became friends with a Palestinian, whom I believed, through my exposure to the
media, lived in a war ravaged state where people were constantly being blown
up. When I asked her if this was the
case she simply laughed at me and then informed me that much of Palestine is
very peaceful with a rich culture. In many ways the communication aspect of
globalisation has a long way to go, especially as it is dominted by the west,
while third world countries are being given wind up computers and a telephone
line to a village is considered a large development.
References
Fitzgerald, V., Heyer, J. & Thorp, R., 2011, ‘Overcoming the persistence of Inequality
and Poverty’, Palgrave Macmillan Ltd., New York.
Valcanis, T., 2011, 'An iPhone in every hand: media ecology,
communication structures, and the global village', ETC: A Review Of General Semantics, 68, 1, pp. 33-45,
Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 25 July
2012
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