Last Updated on September 8, 2019 by Karl Thompson
Postmodernists see the media as central to globalisation and emphasise the positive effects media globalisation has on society.
Before reading this post you might like to review the concepts of postmodernity and postmodernism and globalisation.
More individual choice
The globalisation of the media means that people are now more aware of hundreds of diverse cultures all over the world, and this gives them more inspiration to break with their own local traditions and live the lives they choose to.
There are also many more consumption opportunities: more choice of films, music, travel opportunities and of course global products.
The boundary between high and popular culture has also blurred: some classical music artists have sought out popular audiences for example, making high culture more accessible to the masses.
Finally, there are more opportunities for individuals to express themselves via social media.
The rejection of metanarratives
Postmodernists argue that media saturation means there are now an incredibly diverse array of voices and opinions online.
This challenges traditional ‘metanarratives’ – or any viewpoint which holds that there is one truth – as is found with traditional religions, political ideologies such as Marxism and science.
As a result of media saturation, people are now more sceptical of the ‘truth claims’ of experts, which means it is harder for those with power to manipulate people because ‘they know better’.
Participatory culture
Audiences are now more involved with the creation of media content, so the global media space is now more participatory than old style one-way media.
Many people create and upload their own content to platforms such as YouTube, or write blogs, or spend time maintaining their social media profiles.
Audiences also contribute by sharing and critiquing other people’s content on social media.
The globalisation of protest
New media has been used effectively to fight oppression.
Spencer-Thomas (2008) conducted an analysis of protests against military violence in Burma – he found that in 1998 very little media attention was received, but that by 2007, once Smart Phones had penetrated the country, widespread global media coverage of the protests was achieved.
Some political campaigners have also used Twitter and Facebook to fight oppression – during the Arab Spring for example. Another example is the use of Facebook by Saudi women campaigning for the right to drive.
Cultural hybridity
Thompson (1995) argues that global media products are modified by local cultures which results in various new hydbrid forms. Bollywood is a good example of this.
Which is the book referred to as “Thompson (1995)”?