Reader Response Final- edited

According to Kraidy (2002)'s “Globalisation of Culture Through the Media”, the mass media’s influence on the globalisation of culture has been constantly debated. According to the “magic bullet” theory, mass media is widely believed to impact audiences. However, scholars doubt how heavily international media can influence globalisation. Cultural Imperialism is characterized by an unequal distribution of news, mainly controlled by the Western countries. Garcia-Candini (1995) argues that interaction between local and global cultures resulted in hybridisation. Kraidy (2002) eventually concludes that hybridisation has existed since long ago. It is further driven by the media and has led to the shift from cultural imperialism to globalisation.

Kraidy (2002) states that the mass media simply intensify the hybridity of local and global cultures, but did not result in a complete homogenisation. I agree with his views. Mass media is defined as any form of communication that reaches a large audience. It includes television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth (Cliffsnotes, 2013). According to Kaul (2011), electronic media enabled increased interconnectedness across vast distances and a temporal flexibility in social interaction. Mass media like radio and television in the 20th century have allowed even more exposure to news and cultures from around the world.

One major effect of mass media in Singapore is on the local production of music. Music can represent global cultures, yet retain a local identity. According to Firouzeh (2004), music is an impact of cultural imperialism as US influential power across the globe caused our planet to be wired. However, Dick Lee, a Singapore songwriter, has proven this wrong. Music can be a hybridisation of local and global cultures. His music was described as blending of pop funk beats, a feature of western music, together with Asian instruments. (Watanabe, 1992) Through mass media, more musicians can be exposed to the myriad of music cultures existing in the world. Global music can be incorporated into local productions, allowing hybridisation of music. Hybridity of local and global cultures has been observed in food and language since a long time ago. But mass media intensified the existing hybridisation by providing the platform which brings further hybridisation of music.

References

Cliffsnotes. (2007). The Role and Influence of Mass Media. Retrieved from: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/sciences/sociology/contemporary-mass-media/the-role-and-influence-of-mass-media

Nahavandi Firouzeh. (2004). Globalisation and Homogenisation of Culture:

The Role of Mass Medias in Developing Countries. Human Ecology Special Issue No. 12: 235-239. Retrieved from: http://www.krepublishers.com/06-Special%20Volume-Journal/JHE-00-Special%20Volumes/JHE-12-Soc-Respons-Life-Sci-Web/JHE-SI-12-28-235-239-Firouzeh-N/JHE-SI-12-28-235-239-Firouzeh-N-Text.pdf

Teresa Watanabe. (1992, May 12). In the East, Pop Audience Gets Icons of Its Own. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: http://articles.latimes.com/1992-05-19/news/wr-315_1_pop-culture

Vineet Kaul. (2011). Globalisation and Media. J Mass Communicat Journalism 1:105. Retrieved from: http://www.omicsgroup.org/journals/globalisation-and-media-2165-7912.1000105.pdf