What do scholars say about the
influence of mass media to words cultural change in society?
Most
of the countries in the world highlight the fact that cultural change is a big
issue. The history of cultural change is not for today or yesterday. Same
scholar claims that change began from the time man started to live on the face
of this earth, day after day he has been adopting a new behaviuor as he was in
struggle to master his environment and this will continue. Now the hot issue is
advancement of media technology which has made easy access to the information
and turning the world into global village.
Onwumere
(1980), argue that a nation without any cultural parameter will be
incapable of promoting its philosophy, norms and cultures, to the
outside World. Tanzania is one among African countries which are making their efforts
to preserve its identity by protecting the society from evils of mass media by
setting numbers of principles and strategy to overcome them.
The role of mass media on the
cultural change
Folarin (1998) pin point that
the behavior of the cultural change can be impacted by how the media presents
information towards the public. Print,
radio, television, Internet, and social networks are common types of media.
Media extends out to large masses of people and provides information to the
public on various subjects, entertain, and to gratify people’s curiosities.As
mass media has expanded and become more obtainable cell phones, touch, and
laptops so have the influences on a person’s cognitive ability. It would appear that the individual has become
more reliable on consulting the media.
McBride (1981) cemented that
communication is powerful, but not all powerful communication is most effective
when its impact is strengthened by other social factors and the messages
conveyed and are already reflected in public opinion or in emerging interest.
This implies that media impact on our lives is not total but reinforced by
other social factors in society. There
is an argument from journalist professionals that always the role of media is
to tell audiences what to discuss but does not tell them how to discuss the
issues. But the fact is that in most of time the audience reacts on unusual
message, and only message which meets their interest that ends-up the society
into new cultural practice.
Kurt,
Gladys Engle Lang (1959 p. 232) commented that hypothesis suggests that what
people will think to be the facts, and what most people will regard as the way
problems are to be dealt with is portrayed through the media. Mass media forces
attention to certain issues and are constantly presenting objects suggesting
what individuals in the mass should think about, and feelings about.
Kinder,
Peters, (1982) argue that media agenda setting determines the criteria by which
an issue will be evaluated. This concept is known as priming. Priming is the process in which media attends
to particular issues and not others and thereby alter the standards by which
people evaluate and act on an issue.( Severin Tankard 1958 p 226) commented
that for that reason mass media and cultural change walk perpendicularly.
Folarin
(1998) pin point that through selective presentation and emphasis on Journal of
Communication and Culture International Perspective. Certain themes, the mass
media create the impression among their audience that such themes were accepted
norms of the society. This makes members of the society to pattern their own
behaviour along the line of such media presentations. The Cultural Norms theory
resembles the Agenda Setting Theory which suggests that the mass media direct discourses
in the society by emphasizing some certain issues. The theory presents a clear
description of the relationship between the mass media and cultural change.
However, it portrays the media as all powerful the fact is that influence media
towards cultural change is inevitable.
How the change of
media technology affect local culture
The
world has been passing through different eras; stone age, Irene age, industrial
age, technological age now digital era. Digitally empowered men and women, who
would be somewhat alienated from the rest of the population, while acting as
their representatives at the table of global knowledge generation. Here that is
the fact that digital capitalism would like-an easily identified elite that
could be targeted with new media platform and marketing strategies so that they
participate in the global consumer feeding frenzy. ( Appadurai, A.2006).
Hsu,
Yon, (2011, p. 10) pointed out that in today’s technology driven world, people expect to have the
means to communicate with others at any given moment. The ability to create
relationships based solely on mutual understandings and shared common interests
have fed the social media phenomena. In the past, people were able to get
together physically and discuss concerns or share thoughts. In today’s world,
the easy access to technology creates the situation that, when you look around,
people are often using smart phones or using their computers to check on what’s
happening in the world around them, providing a feeling of connectedness.
Gitelman, (2006, p. 59), argue that
constant communication through use of technology is changing the way people
think of themselves and how they communicate. They can get attention, always be
heard, and never have to be alone. Connecting electronically can also lead to
isolation. They often don’t allow the time to think or listen to each other
with the constant sensory stimulus of texts, tweets, Facebook updates, emails
and more. Understanding the prospective of critical sociology and how media practices
impact what is seen as normal affects society’s values. The ease of connecting
through technology and communicating online does have an impact on culture
locally and globally as more and more people choose to communicate online
teaching each other new culture.
P. Jonglio (2012),
argue that media technology
expanded and matured, the electronic age began. Since that time mass media has
multiplied exponentially, information can be accessed faster and faster, more
and more information could be circulated and accessed. As well as information
circulating, marketing and were now able to reach more people, and target
audiences based on individuals’ internet use.
Severin
and Tankard (2001) argue that media extends out to large masses of people and provides
information to the public on various subjects, entertain, and to gratify
people’s curiosities. As mass media has expanded and become more obtainable
cell phones, touch, and laptops so have the influences on a person’s cognitive
ability. It would appear that the individual has become more reliable on
consulting the media.
How the society perceive mass media
Gaudet (1968) argue
that the mass media was imposed on Africa by Colonialist during colonial
period, and by North America, West Europe, and, now East Asia. The global
capitalist economy which generated and accompanied the rapid spread of new
digital media of communication from about the mid 1980’s to present times still
fuels Northern media imperialism. However, these developments have also created
contradictions which provide opportunities for African communicators to
challenge Northern media hegemony.
Agboli (2008)
explains that there are two possible ways for African to avoid the development
of such a netocracy. The impact of new media is creating a revolution in the
way community relates to each other. For African to benefit from the changes, a
huge responsibility lies with those citizens who have acquired digital skills,
to become sensitive to the ethical, social and even philosophical implications
of the technological revolution.
Berger
(2007) who conducted a comparative legal survey on media laws in 10 countries
in Sub-Saharan Africa argues that countries like Ethiopia which has maintained
a tight legal reign on the entire media landscape remain at the bottom of the
list in terms of media diversity, and hence in the per capita information
services available to the citizenry. (Berger 2011) argue that One of the main
explanations that African ruling elites provide for the government’s continued
control of mass media is that in young democracies like their own,
irresponsible media can be a source of conflicts and civil strife rather than
promoters of progress and peace.
Esther Amadus
(2005) Argue that Tanzanian government plays a significant role in media
regulation on behalf of community’soppinion, by providing an example that in July 2001, legislation from 1976 was invoked to shut down
nine publications and suspend three others.
The Tanzanian government declared that the press had published specific
reports and photographs that were "contrary to national ethics and
encourage promiscuous behavior" and therefore in violation of the 1976
Newspaper Registration Act.
When
enacted, the Registration Act granted authorities the power to register or ban
newspapers.
These
actions were taken a month after President Mkapa announced a crackdown on
published and online pornography and reflect an extensive history of invoking
the National Security Act to charge journalists. For decades, the government
has employed provisions of the National Security Act to issue heavy fines or prison sentences of up
to ten years to end immorality which may be brought by media technology.
Leo
Mabussu Mabala (1988, page 11).Quotes the words of the first president of
Tanganyika and United Republic of Tanzania Mw. Julius K.Nyerere to mark the
effort of the government in reflection to the publics’ opinion to words
cultural preservation as he knew that media will help to unity the society and
build good moral but only if there will be media super vision. He said; “I have
established this ministry of culture in order to help us to restore our
traditional pride. I suggest it should
find the good practice from all tribes and make them the property of whole
nation. My hope is that everyone shall help this new ministry to fulfill its
mission.”
