Globalisation Vs Localisation

Globalisation is defined as being "growth to a global or worldwide scale," while localisation is defined as being "made local or oriented locally." With the rise of the internet and other forms of new technology, the argument of whether globalisation is positively or negatively influencing the world of journalism and society as a whole has arisen. There is no doubt that the answer is both, as a result of different factors.

The term globalisation, or "global village" is not a new one. As Rhonda Breit states, "it was first used in the 1960s to describe the linking of humanity in all parts of the world." This was done by the use of the printing press, radio, the invention of the television and telephones. This technology has since evolved into mobile phones and satellites, which according to Breit has "helped to break down borders to create a global media audience." The invention of the internet to the general public has sped up the process, and through its use, news can now reach citizens in a far off country. It is this process which makes it instantaneous, and it is one of the advantages of globalisation.

According to Michael D. Intriligator, Professor of Economics, Political Science, and Policy Studies at UCLA, "globalization has involved greater openness in the international economy, an integration of markets on a worldwide basis, and a movement toward a borderless world, all of which have led to increases in global flows." Globalisation has helped to shape economies in that transportation and communication is cheaper. It is now possible to send information through to the other side of the world at any time and receive a reply almost instantly. For more information on what Intriligator believes are the advantages of globalisation, visit www.sppsr.ucla.edu/cgpr/docs/workingpaper2.doc. He is not the only one who suggests advantages of globalisation though, as E.A. Eregarr and A.O. Afolabii use six examples. The first of these is rise in the volume of global market, which means there will always be an increase in trade regardless of the product. The second one is increase in competition, which provides more choices and lower prices. The third example relates to cultural diversity, which means the products will be available to everybody. Example number four is job creation and poverty eradication. This means that more events will take place, and thus more jobs will be created. Example number five is a check on bad government, in which foreign media outlets can criticise governments and end their reign. Finally, the pair suggests that globalisation can aid development, as there is instant access to local media coverage of activities.

Globalisation has also culminated in the deregulation of media institutions across the world. This has especially taken place in Nigeria, which since 1992 has not been in the hands of the government. Now, everybody who is willing to participate in the media can do so.

However, globalisation also has many negative effects. According to Breit, "the latest technological advances have taken place in an environment of commercialisation." This has seen the rise of 10 transnational corporations as well as a second tier, which are buying into the new technology, and thus limiting freedom of speech. As a result, this is having a huge influence on journalism. As we all know, newspapers set the agenda, but this is now going one step further, as Breit states, "media operators and others in the industry are setting the news agenda , as journalists put commercial interests before the public's right to know, traditionally seen as the motivation to break stories." Newspapers in the 21st Century are a business, where money is important to their survival. Journalists in this environment thus have the added pressure of deciding whether the information is in the public interest. It can also culminate in defamation cases being herd in a country where the article has not been published. An example of this is, Dow Jones & Company Inc Vs Joseph Gutnick (2002 at 25) where Joseph Gutnick sued Dow Jones for comments that were placed on the internet. Also, globalisation is effecting culture as a whole, especially Nigeria, where Nigeria films, T V and Records portray the dominant America culture. According to Eregarr and Afolabii, "this could be traced to factors like lack of funds to produce programs, proliferation of Hollywood culture, and dependency on foreign News Agencies of developed countries." It is a problem that faces a lot of third world countries, and thus is a huge negative of globalisation.

Overall though, there is no doubt that globalisation is having a positive effect on society. This is because more information is available than ever before. Thus, the idea of globalisation is not killing off localisation. Rather, it is strengthening it.

What is the future of journalism?

Living in the 21st Century, has certainly raised questions as to what the future of journalism is.  The main argument surrounding this issue, is whether or not newspapers are still relevant, especially with more and more people turning to the internet to get their news.  However, for the time being, newspapers are considered to be relevant.  To illustrate this point, according to public opinion, newspapers were still relevant in 2009.  A survey conducted by the Rosen Group in the United States found that of the 316 individuals surveyed between the ages of 12-72, 82.8% believed daily newspapers were still relevant. The figure drops to 45.5% when the same respondents were asked whether or not newspapers will still be around in 2019. This definitely bodes well for the immediate future of newspapers, especially in Australia where readership is only down .7%.

However, newspapers are struggling with advertising revenue online.  One of the central arguments to fix this problem is that they should change their traditional business format and start charging for online content, which was brought up during the presentations.  While the days of free online content are indeed coming to an end, the fact remains that it will only ever work with niche markets, including the Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. This is because consumers of these newspapers seem vitally important to the Finance Industry. However, when it comes to other forms of news, the answer from the general public, as found out by Rachelle Money is a distinct “no.” In the same article, Money cites Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post, who says that “the money making potential lies in search engines, online advertising, citizen journalism and independent outfits.” She states that, “the future does not lie behind a pay wall, and the restriction of information is not the way forward.” Instead, she recommends a hybrid system in which old media and new media work together. Money also believes in this idea. (http://www.wordtracker.com/academy/newspapers-make-money-online) .  The video from Reuters shows just how newspapers are expanding their websites to remain competitive.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMn3SaFUdQQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp)

The argument mentioned above is definitely one of the ideas for the future. However, much like whether or not there should be pay walls, there is a huge debate as to the future of newspapers. Two examples of this are, Scott Bosley, Executive Director of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, who states, “The word newspaper is going to disappear. We'll talk about news' rather than newspapers” because there are going to be so many other ways that people get their news.” This is an interesting argument considering websites including Facebook and Twitter are allowing people to post their own feeds of news online before the newspapers can do so. In the same instance, John Hartigan, News Ltd Media Chairman and CEO, believes that Australian newspapers are holding up well compared to the US and UK. However, he states that newspapers will need to change to survive by “delivering more relevant stories written by highly qualified, specialist journalists.” The future of newspapers is definitely a talking point, but it seems as though they will still be around for quite some time, and are thus still relevant.  Some of the editors that met at the World Editors Forum in Cape Town in 2007, explain how the digital age is influencing newspapers. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y68dySUNtZ4&feature=related).

All in all, the future of journalism is unclear, but it seems as though newspapers are still well and truly part of that future.

The continually changing roles of journalism-citizen journalism

The modern interpretation of journalism has changed dramatically since it was, as Michael Meadows states in "A return to practice: reclaiming journalism as a public conversation," "where disparate members of the emerging entity called 'the public' met to discuss politics, sport, gossip-in other words, experiences of the every day."  One such example of its changing role is that it has become "the fourth estate," in which the media is now a watchdog over not just the government and the laws made, but also what happens in everyday life, which has culminated in the public not trusting the media.

Technology is also playing a part in changing the roles of a journalist, and has culminated in the rise of citizen journalism.  According to Effie Moore Salem in her article, “Effects of citizen journalism on mainstream media”, it “is making a huge impact on the publishing industry.” (http://www.helium.com/items/1580208-effects-of-citizen-journalism-on-mainstream-media). Thus, it is the most talked about form of journalism in the 21st Century, and everybody wants to be a part of it.  An advantage of this, is that it, as Emma Tucker points out, "exposes situations that perhaps otherwise go un-reported."  Citizen journalism also allows for news to reach a larger audience, and is connecting more with a younger generation who are turning away from the mainstream media.

This is mostly done through blogs, which are "the internet's most popular paradigm."  It is also having a huge influence on foreign policy of governments, as well as their policies.  "Jane's Political Ramblings" (http://janespoliticalramblings.wordpress.com/).  Joanne Jacobs states in "Democracy and The Internet", "the information superhighway has been promoted by political leaders and net-heads alike as the medium by which true democracy is attainable.”  This means that bloggers are able to comment on any issue they like, without being punished for doing so.  Blogs can also alert the world to events that we would not have known about otherwise, for instance during the Burmese Riots in 2007, or the election riots in Iran in 2009.   (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y67YC__XzKE) as well as shape what is reported.

Other forms of citizen journalism, based on the internet also exist.  These include, hyper-local sites, for example, Youdecide2007.org website, which was established during the Australian Federal Election in 2007.  This allowed citizens to report news from electorates that we would otherwise have not heard of.  In addition, an international example, that of Global Voices Online, allows citizens from other countries who are oppressed to find a voice, while Ohmynews, is a popular form of news reporting, as there are more than 41,000 reporters reporting on issues around the world.

All in all, citizen journalism, despite its negatives, especially in regards to information being incorrect, and neighbours beginning to spy on each other, has certainly changed journalism for the better, and is most definitely here to stay. Without it, we would not know as much as we do.

N . B .Media expert Jay Rosen explains citizen journalism in great detail in an interview with digitaljournal.com. (http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/292329).