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International and Comparative Media Systems

Chapter 18

© 2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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CHAPTER OUTLINE

• International Media Systems

• World Media Online

• Comparative Media Systems

• Examples of Other Systems

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INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SYSTEMS

• Mass media can cross national boundaries– Simple spillover of media– Designed deliberately for other countries

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Global Print Media

• Many major newspapers provide foreign-language or international editions– General newspapers– Financial newspapers

• Global wire services dominate the international flow of news

• International distribution of magazines

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Global Broadcasting

• About 150 countries engage in international broadcasting

• Top five global broadcast leaders are– World Service of the BBC; Voice of America

(VOA); China Radio International; Deutsche Welle (DW; German Wave); Radio France International (RFI)

• Proliferation of global news, sports, and music channels

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Film and TV

• American films dominate many foreign box offices– Foreign box office accounts for more than half a film’s

revenue– International DVD revenue is important

• US dominates international TV program market– Local programs provide strong competition, and

dominate prime time in many countries– Format licensing

• TV signals ignore international boundaries– Lost international revenues; cultural domination

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WORLD MEDIA ONLINE

• The Internet provides access to worldwide media– Radio stations– Streaming video– Major newspapers & magazines

• Information also contained in e-mail, newsgroups, individual web sites

• Limited use of WWW: In 2006, about 16% of world’s population was online, mostly in developed countries

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COMPARATIVE MEDIA SYSTEMS

• The political system of a country usually determines the relationship between the media, the government, and the people

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Theories of the Press

• Authoritarian Theory

• Libertarian Theory

• Social Responsibility Theory

• Communist Theory

• Developmental Theory

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Control and Ownership of the Media

• Media systems can be classified along dimensions of control and ownership.– Public ownership, decentralized control– Public ownership, centralized control– Private ownership, decentralized control– Private ownership, centralized control

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Role of the Media in Various Countries

• The role of the mass media differs according to its ownership and control

• Biggest differences across the different levels of ownership/control are found in the interpretation, or editorial, function

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Economic Differences

• US media largely supported by advertising

• Many Western European countries provide subsidies to media

• Developmental media systems get a mix of private and governmental funding

• Communist media get most of their funding from the government, but advertising revenue is welcomed

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EXAMPLES OF OTHER SYSTEMS

• We will explore three media systems

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Japan

• Literacy rate near 100%• Strong print tradition: 10 papers exceed 1 million daily

circulation– Competition from new technology

• News and business magazines• Broadcast system modeled after British• Commercial networks started after WW II• Pioneers in HDTV & DBS• American films dominate box office• Cell phone use high• Internet use 71%

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Mexico

• Striving to form indigenous media system• Literacy rate 92%• 300 daily newspapers, combined circulation about 9

million• 200 magazines• Government has controlled media; system is called

“partly free”• Broadcasting influenced by US system• Top-rated TV shows are generally Mexican productions• Significant media content flow to US

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China

• With some exceptions, the trend has been toward less government control, and more diverse media landscape

• 200 newspapers; combined circulation about 200 million• 10,000 magazines• 650 radio stations reach 95% of population• TV penetration 90%• Limits on imports and foreign news• Internet penetration 11%; controls over access to web

sites• Mobile media becoming popular