The Negative And Positive Effects On The Development Countries

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Development of Media System
Introduction
The term media is used in this study to refer to a combination of content such as films, music, TV, radio, adverts, publications as well as electronic games. These constituents are described alongside other technological devices and have experienced expansion over the years. The nature of expansion and development experience in the media regarding content, platforms, and devices have received mixed reactions from all quotas (Gardner and Lehnert 293). However, the global platform can testify to the fact that these developments have opened opportunities as well as new business models (Gardner and Lehnert 293).
History of the media records that the first book ever printed in the world dates back to 686 in China. This was followed by the printing at the Gutenberg press that utilized the technology of movable tape in 1453 (RobbGrieco 3-20). Subsequently, the first newspaper ever printed in the English language was done around 1620. The period within the 19th century saw different advancements that include the invention of the telegraph and loudspeaker that added to the taste of the media. All these inventions can be said to have converged in the 20th century to register an elaborate transformation within the media fully. Importantly, the first private commercial radio station was launched at KDKA Pittsburg in 1920, this was followed by the launch of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in the year 1925. By the year 1935 the majority of the United States citizens owned a radio with the BBC introducing Television broadcasts followed by the introduction of cable TVs in 1948. This has led to subsequent developments that saw the invention of different devices such as, microprocessors, audio cassettes, mobile media devices, desktop computers, Cable News Network (CNN), laptop computers, the World Wide Web, DVDs, user-created contents, podcasts amongst other many inventions. Such developments have greatly transformed the media industry leading to new industries as well as social activities that directly correlate to media development (Bagdikian 44).
The outlined development extended the scope of the media through the introduction of different format of media. In the 20th century, there was the elaborate development of mass media that gave a solid foundation for the expansion of media globally. The use of mass media provides a content production and distribution that is one-way (Gardner and Lehnert 296). However, the developments of the 21st century have ensured that the media transforms through the digitalization of content including distribution through digital devices and platforms. These transformations as experienced in the 21st century provide a two-way content distribution as well as production using new devices. The introduction of the internet and smartphones are some of the recent additions to the new media transformation (Cruz-Jesus et al. 1-10).
Interestingly, the new media has not displaced the old since they operate side-by-side. In this case, there is a still publication of both the hardcopy and e-books accessed over the internet. This also involves the receiving and accessibility of news that can be done through radios, TVs, laptops and mobile handheld devices (Rodney 13).
Media system in Sub-Saharan Countries and How to change it
The innovation in media platform especially in sub-Saharan Africa is considered as one of the technological advancements that have revolutionized the telecommunication sector. In this case, technological innovation refers to the process through which existing technologies are improved and developed to accommodate the wider area of usage (Trottier 55). Innovation is usually thought to be composed of different elements such as research; development, demonstrations as well as deployment linked through various interconnections and feedback loops that occur between stages. The innovation process also incorporates a range of organizations as well as personnel that brings different institutional arrangements that facilitates the development and implementation of different technologies such as the mobile device (Bunce et al. 33-45).
Statistics shows that there is a high level of illiteracy rates in developing countries, and given such a scenario a majority of modern media users rely on smartphones and internet primarily for voice calls, rather than data services such as short messaging service (SMS) (Rodney 1). Media-based services including products, therefore, need to be adapted to this reality. Existing economic evidence suggests that modern media can serve as a powerful tool for economic development in the world’s poorest countries. However, it is important to note that the development of media is not necessarily a panacea that will lift people out of poverty; rather, there is a possibility that they can be utilized for reducing information costs, improving markets as well as strengthening development projects in a variety of sectors (Rodney 1). While information is necessary for efficient markets, it is not sufficient: markets (and development) require infrastructure and financial services to work, which is often not the case in developing countries. Multinationals, as well as international organizations that seek to improve market access in developing countries, therefore should not focus on information alone: power and roads are also needed to boost growth (Rodney 11).
Importance of Media Development
There is elaborate evidence that the use of technology provides a wide area on connectedness — the phenomenon that explains improved interconnectivity can be referred to as globalization which has largely influenced sectors of the economy, societies, and cultures. The interconnectedness was influenced and improved by media which acted as a tool that was used to accelerate the various processes. The development in technology enabled the aspect of remote controlling of things, events as well as people. Currently, the extent of coverage of global events by media is considered pervasive, therefore, making different operations to tune to global channels. There is no possibility of broadcasting real-time events all over the world (Flew and Waisbord 620).
However, the concept of media globalization has attracted debates that tend to challenge communication research over the years. Some of the theories that have been the center for debates include theories of powerful effects, theories focusing on media gratification, theories focusing on limited effects as well as theories focusing on reception and resistance. According to Wallerstein’s World System Theory (WST), the transformation of the media has indeed influenced the debates on the impacts and effects that eventually divides the globe into centers and peripheries (Bankole 14). This theory has extensive explanations that help in the understanding of different dimensions of media globalization. In this theory, three levels of technology are covered describing global communications: first the core nations considered equipped with modern technology, secondly, semi-peripheral nations that are considered to be in transitional age towards modern technology, third are the peripheral nations considered to have poor information and communication technology networks. Examples of core nations are United States, European Union, China, and Japan; semi-peripheral are Brazil, UAE, and Mexico; while peripheral countries include Most of the African countries, Asia and Latin America nations (Bagdikian 44).
The aspect of cross-ownership and conglomeration trends allows media owners to distribute messages through the media. In this case, trends associated with conglomeration are considered products of media globalization that easily monopolizes the concept of a plurality of voices (Giddens 19). The 20th century saw the aspect of conglomeration that led to media monopoly whereby the transnational circulation of cultures led to the promotion of commercialization as well as the commoditization of media products and services. Such trends provided owners with massive benefits through the facilitation of the political media economy. It is evident that the media transformation helps in concentrating wealth to a few individuals of the world. In this case, the media assists in the widening of the economic disparities since the creation of plans and policies are the responsibilities of the richest. The richest owns the media giants as well as the maneuvering ideologies which makes it easy for them to manipulate message systems through own policies. It is easier for the media moguls to control people’s perception and thinking, therefore, controls the semi-peripheral and peripheral nations. In this case, it is, therefore, evident that the media globalization continues to assist the rich to exercise control over the poor since most of the richest belong to the core countries (Giddens 22).
Development of media system in developing countries
Even though the new communication technology provides various additional means of communication, the impact on developing countries is completely a controversy. For instance, the new communication technology has led to the widening gap between those with access to information and those without. This can be referred to as “communication imperialism” which has led to an organized effort by the super-power military to gain supremacy within the commercial, political and military sectors. For instance, the United States military uses the media and new communication technology to police the world system (Giddens 23).
The information revolution has ignited various challenges especially to conceptual grip on the different wide-ranging global processes. In this case, the individual perceptions and cognitions are always inclined towards the dominant media. This is also true to the influence of regimes over their people, whereby they are capable of controlling the wills individuals through global media. This concept is elaborately explained through the ‘CNN Effect’ theory. For instance, with daily coverage of approximately one billion audiences, CNN has been used by the United States to deliver their major decisions globally. A good example includes cases where the US propagated their attacks on different countries citing threats to global peace. In the wake of the September 11 attacks on the US soil, there was the widespread provision of images showing hijacked planes slamming into the World Trade Centre. This led to the US attacking Afghanistan in October 2001with the coverage being provided by the United States media (Bagdikian 52). There was completely no other media from developing countries including Afghanistan that covered the occurrence of the events. Such framings from the global media pose a great challenge to media globalization especially within developing countries (Flew et al. 1-15).
The inception of the New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO) enabled the developing countries to reduce their dependence on media communications from the core countries (Loisen and Pauwels 43 ). The concept of importing information technology got independence despite the improvement in technology giving power to core countries to dominate media while developing countries left to depend on them. This was the core of media imperialism where organized efforts from the United States military control the world communication system (Bagdikian 40-50). The knowledge gap hypothesis brought by the disparity in access to information asserts that the better-educated benefits more from information technology compared to less the educated people. Further, those of higher social classes receive better facilitation from the information technology in comparison to the lower class. Pakistan as one of the developing nations is characterized by economic disparities whereby those of higher socioeconomic status access variety of information which makes them better positioned to handle sources of information (Carr, and Hayes 44).
The highly placed in the society are considered better placed to the understanding of internet terminologies, therefore, can easily follow machine related mode of communication. For instance, those of lower socio-economic status are always ignorant concerning scholarships and different job opportunities, even though they have rights of access. In Pakistan, the upper-class people with roots in feudalism control situations including the politics. The lower class majorly from the rural areas experiences the peripheral effects since they rarely have access to the latest information. Consequently, the development in media that provides the latest information and communication technology continues to empower the upper social class (Carr, and Hayes 43).
Advantages of media development in developing countries
There are several transformations and changes in the media functions resulting from the advancement in technology. There are different key functions of communication technology within developing countries. These include a contribution to national unity, help in the issues of national planning, assisting in the teaching of skills, an extension of market economies gives voice to the citizen’s contribution towards nation building. According to the social responsibility theory, the act of information commodification, as well as outsourcing of media contents, led to restrictions that prevented essential functions of the media. The focus of this theory was on changing the functions of the media rather than defending media rights (Carr, and Hayes 46).
The use of Television sets ensures that people are empowered to receive from the entire world. From such a perspective, the cultivation theory explains the role of television as part of a family that represents the cultural arm of the society. Notably, all the Television contents are under the control of the owners with the agenda being set by policy owners. This shows that the local forces have no control of the agenda of the global media, therefore affecting the public policy and agenda. However, the contents provided by the global media cannot act as the voice to various structures within developing countries. This is since the Trans-national corporations that sponsor the contents of the global media only serves the interests of Core countries by promoting their foreign businesses. Such aspect of global media may result in destabilization of national economies (Flew et al. 10).
The effect of global media can be seen in the revision of foreign policies as well as shifts in political and economic ideologies. The concept of plurality of channels promotes polarization within the political arena. The is clear North-South flow as seen in the news whereby those affiliated to western governments are considered priority sources of information as compared to developing countries. The latest development in technology has since assumed the role of allowing people to contribute to the manufacturing of contents. This can be seen in the use of facebook, twitter, youtube, blogging as relative platforms that provide space for launching own contents.
Media and Economic Development
There is a clear indication that the development of media in developing countries has reduced communication costs (Albarran). According to his argument, such improvements have had tangible economic benefits in various sectors such as improvement in market efficiency as well as considering the concerns of the players considering specific situations in different countries. The revolution within the telecommunication markets shows that media devices currently serve as service delivery tools in Africa. Such utilization of media devices has generally influenced the aspect on development that surrounds mobile media devices from reduced distance alongside costs to full transformation of lives through innovation of applications as well as services (Aker and Fafchamps 263).
The revolution within the communication sector has attracted several interests leading to rapid adoption of media devices. This has, therefore, led to major speculations as well as hope as regards its effect on development in the economic sector in sub-Sahara Africa. In this case, the various stakeholders such as policymakers including multinationals have all adopted media mobile devices as crucial in development issues (Albarran 10). From the revolutionary perspective, the evolution of media coverage as well as the adoption of mobile devices in sub-Saharan Africa, over the past decade is currently the point of concern. Further, this article explores the various channels through which media development is capable of effecting economic outcomes including appraising current evidence of its potential in improving the economic development.
Factors that determine the development of media coverage
It is important to note that several factors influence the growth of media coverage across developing countries. For instance, the population density has a strong correlation with the continuing widespread use of media devices. There is a spatially disaggregated dataset of mobile phone coverage including the geographic characteristics (Lacey 1). There is a clear indication in some researches that show that the probability of using media device having an in a particular location is somehow related to the level of productiveness of the area of the target. These factors include population density and per capita income, as well as the competitiveness amongst the mobile phone service providers within the market. Their studies also reveal some particular factors associated with negative mobile phone coverage such as higher costs, higher elevation, steeper slopes, as well as distance from the main road and major urban. From the empirical literature, it is proven that these factors give a partial explanation concerning the rollout of mobile phone services depending on the region set-up. However, they depend upon the topographical features of a particular country (Madon and Krishna 22).
Donner and Walton conducted a survey that reveals very little research conducted by economists on media devices adoption. In this case, most of the ...