Globalisation vs. Localisation

Globalisation is it a bad thing? For many years, critics are concerned and focused on that negative effects of globalisation on journalism. This seminar is not an exception.

I certainly agree with the group with the balanced viewpoint about this topic. They have shown both sides of the coin about the impact of globalisation on journalism. The group has pointed out several important concepts of globalisation and its potential benefits - namely bringing the entire world closer together creating an informational global village and transfer of intangible cultural values. On the other hand, limitations are highlighted to be dominance of a few Transnational Companies (TNCs) resulting in homogenisation of media messages and affecting the quality of journalism.

Globalisation at its worse creates a negative domino effect on journalism, the wide expansion of TNCs allows only several large and privately funded media organisations to enter the niche industry. It creates a natural barrier - media in itself is expensive to maintain and establish. Thus, enforcing its power across the globe as long as there is satellite coverage of the news channel, most of the local media platforms are not spared from the international competition. With that being said, the large companies are able to control media messages through framing. Combine it altogether, stifling competition and corporate power may silence alternate voices with only profits in mind, at the expense of quality of reporting and journalism.

The seminar ends off with globalisation being potentially useful and detrimental depending on how it is being used, viewed and perceived. It may not necessarily be entirely bad.

My opinion is that both globalisation and localisation is essential for journalism to benefit in a global village setting. Take the unrest in Tibet as a case study, CNN was banned in China for reporting the alternative viewpoint - citing a breach of human rights recognised internationally through the declarations of United Nations. CNN China also did a wide coverage on the violence and beatings of protesting monks and Tibetan citizens. While local news broadcasts like CCTV remain silent about the unjust and supporting the Chinese government. In this case, the quality of journalism has increased not because of competition but because international news organisations believe that there is news worthiness and a second opinion on a certain issue that creates a different news story from locally produced news.