Media Systems in Japan, Canada and the United Kingdom

Japan
Primary: Social Responsibility
Secondary: Liberatarian

Canada
Primary: Developmental
Secondary: Social Responsibility

UK
Primary: Liberatarian
Secondary: Social Responsibility

Foreign Media Conglomerates

The latest reading from MacPhail surprised me in that I had no idea that Canadian media corporations dominate the world scene as much as they do. In fact, I hadn't heard of ANY Canadian media outlets outside of the CBC until reading this passage. It is amazing that American media outlets, especially television outlets, are readily available in Canada, yet we here in America have not a clue what is going on just over the border.


I wonder how long it will be before some of these smaller global media organizations are eaten up by the top 5 media conglomerates. In the age of consolidation and increased competition, it seems that global media conglomerates will be seeking every edge they can get, and the opportunity to penetrate further into markets controlled by these smaller groups may be enticing enough to incur wholesale buyouts.

Mariah Blake's piece in the Columbia Journalism Review is a bit shocking as a student journalist. On one hand, I definitely understand the concerns of the British court. In terms of privacy, one has to draw the line somewhere before the situation gets out of hand. The fact that media organizations (tabloids) are shelling out huge sums of money for access to voicemail is disturbing. Yet the penalties being placed on journalists is more disturbing.

My opinion is that every last step or precaution should be taken before freedom of the press is curbed. The fact that a law like this may hamper investigative journalists from taking the first steps in their reporting provides too much shielding for the government. I may not be up to date with all the latest happenings from British politics, but if their system works anything like America's, the need for investigative reporting is probably on the rise.

In an era where leaders make decisions that result in preemptive wars, decisions based on faith/religion and heavily earmarked spending, journalists need to be encouraged to seek out stories that unearth even the smallest forms of corruption in government.

American Multimeda Giants

McPhail's research and writing about American multimedia giants provides valuable insight into how American media corporations have come to dominate the global scene via electronic colonialism theory. Particularly striking was the far reaches that the Disney Corporation employs. A story from here on campus illustrates just how wide Disney's reach is.

Disney CEO, an Ithaca College alumnus, came to visit in the fall of 2006 to kick off the college's multi-million dollar fundraising campaign. Iger spoke in the Hockett Recital Hall in Ford Hall, and his address was televised live throughout campus. Being Ithaca, students and residents needed to protest something, and this time it was Disney's role in the anti-Clinton documentary, "The Truth About 9/11." The young woman who directly confronted Iger about this topic and offered a range of accusations was wearing Disney boots.

That moment is particularly emblematic of how much these media conglomerates touch our lives and how much we may not even be aware of it. As media scholars, I think it is our job to become more conscious of how our everyday life is affected by these media conglomerates.