Media Globalisation and Singapore, the "accepting" nation

When I question myself, " What is the Singaporean Culture?", I find myself at a lost for words. 

The truth is, I do not know what it exactly is!

When I read MM Lee's speech that was featured in The Straits Times on 25 October, I see for myself a clearer picture of "A Singaporean's mindset". The two articles titled "Only an A-Team will do" and "Cultural Barriers harder to break in Asia" talk about MM Lee's take on the leadership in Singapore and how it is difficult for Singapore to export talents, due to our different culture compared to the dominating countries like the United States. 

"Cultural barriers do not come down easily in Asia, and for this reason, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew believes talent will not flow smoothly across borders any time soon. To illustrate, MM Lee shared his long-time observations of China and India, saying: 'You can take a Chinese or an Indian, bring them to America and, as a minority in the American milieu, he will begin to absorb the American ethos.'But you bring a few Americans to China or India and you think you can spread this ethos into India and China, you're dead wrong.' "

Upon this comment, I understand why media globalization is deemed unsuccessful in the global market. Here, MM Lee speaks about the idea of culture. But yet, we also know that culture is a contributing factor to the media trade. From MM Lee's observation, I infer that the diversity of culture in Asia has indeed hindered the trading of mass media. Cultures are too diverse that every country stays within it's own culture. Especially for Singapore, where we lead multi-racial lives, I would say people decide to stick within their races to maintain peace (considering us being a high context culture).

"MM Lee said that the Chinese will never become non-Chinese, and neither will the Indians be non-Indians. The same goes for the Malays, Thais or other groups. But put small groups of them in America, scatter them, and they become like the Americans, he observed."

Undeniably, we asians are more easily influenced than influential. This boils down to the very reason why the Americans dominate the media market. America remains as the dominant influence in the mass media as we can see all the exported forms of media present in almost everywhere in the world. Our minds are thus shaped to demand for the American culture.

One example of the American influence would be the movie "High School Musical". High School Musical, being aired previously in Disney channel(an American channel), is now a major motion picture because of its demand worldwide! TV channels like Kids Central in Singapore even mimicked the concept by producing a musical serial "School House Rocks" to attract the audience. 

Also, America's influence to the world is so powerful that even within it's society alone, does racial elitism occur- where the whites are considered as superior because of what the media portrays.

Here is something I leave with you- what the media as taught these children about "beauty":

Magazine appeal

I love reading magazines, and “National Geographic” is simply one of my favourites.
I do not have cable TV; so subscribing to the monthly-published National Geographic magazine allows me to have a readable version of Discovery Channel.
As a magazine is a form of media that sends media messages to “invisible receivers”, it contains information that aims to captivate and capture, as receivers are entirely free to reject the magazine if they do not feel attracted.
The messages of the National Geographic are also non-exclusive and temporal, usually dedicated to anyone (although subscribers usually are those who love environment and geography) and available almost anywhere.
The media functions as a source of surveillance (to inform), correlation (to analyze and evaluate), cultural transmission (to educate and allow receivers to socialize), and entertainment (to enjoy and gratify). I clearly see how the media functions when I indulge in the National Geographic magazine.

1. Surveillance

Information about climate, science and the theme of this month's issue- The Neanderthals are all published in the magazine.

2. Correlation

Evaluation and analysis information is evident when the prices of bread from different countries are analyzed and the growth in cost is detected.

3. Cultural transmission

Readers are educated about other cultures in this issue as the country, India, is talked about. Also, the section on "Letters" where readers from all different countries write in to share their views.

4. Entertainment

Look at all these beautiful pictures! =) For the lovers of the environment, such a sight surely is great enjoyment and gratification to the eyes. Even I, who knows nothing about photography looks at these pictures of nature with awe.

Indeed, I was amazed how these four areas are taken into account to attract receivers, and for the first time, reading National Geographic never was so informative as I realize all the areas of information that is dedicated to me, the invisible receiver.

I hope that you see how powerful the media functions as much as I am awed.

P.S. This magazine is taken from the newest issue of National Geographic- October 2008

Cultures and their Ads.

Singapore, a country known to be in possession of a high context culture, is one that we Singaporeans are well familiar of, and we live off it. 

Being defined as a culture that practices "face-saving", uses "subtle cues" and sees "explicit communication style as rude", we surely are a society of people that presents the media conservatively, and sensitively. Producers would never dare to be too daring or too bold in their views and messages lest they may offend the public or the country. I am sure we can see this in the content of printed Ads that are advertised around us- they never contain too creative or bold messages, but instead, messages are straight to the point and do not exactly allow room for greater inference.

Here are 2 electronics Print Advertisements:

 

The one on the left is an LG advertisement from Singapore and the one on the right is a Sony advertisement from Sydney.

As we see from these 2 advertisements, the Singaporean advertisement has the words and the product shown very clearly, giving a very straight forward information about the product advertised. However, the Sony advertisement has no picture of the product at all- it is a depiction of one huge note being exploded into many small notes. From here, this abstract advertisement allows us to look more into the picture, giving us thoughts that enable us to infer that the product has very powerful sound. The answer to the advertisement is provided only at a small corner of it that shows a pair of headphones and two words- hear more. From here, we can more or less deduce that it is an advertisement of a headphone that has sound that is maximised, allowing the listener to enjoy a "surround sound".

Thus, looking at both advertisements, we see how these 2 countries one of high context culture and the another of low context culture, produce very different approaches in their advertisements.

Media's all around you

I have been talking so much about the media- criticizing news articles, movies and advertisements. So today, I am going to go on a different take- the media on me. When I think about the media, this all familiar oldie starts playing in my head:

"I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Love is all around me
And so the feeling grows
Its written on the wind
Its everywhere I go"

(only that i change the word LOVE to the MEDIA)

As I look all around me, everything seems to be a depiction of the media- posters on bus stops, music blasting of shopping malls, the television, magazines, newspapers, internet and not forgetting the little gadgets I carry that somehow makes the media around even more.

I cannot help but say that the media has somehow influenced my thoughts abundantly. 

Last week, I was really tied up with school work and work, thus feeling really stressed. Then, I subconsciously started humming and listening to the song Broken Wings by Alterbridge more frequently, never failing to sing "on Broken Wings I'm falling" out loud just to express my tiredness.

 

This week, I picked up The Reader's Digest lying on the table at home and started reading it. I was reading on the "My Story" section of the magazine and it was inspiring. Not only so, I also realized that if I write my own live story and if it gets published, I would receive $500 for that! From then, it has become my life goal to write my own story and attempt to receive that $500. 

Also, while I was travelling on the bus a few days ago, I saw a video on MobileTV that commemorated the Paralympics 2008. Just by looking at the scenes of joy and sadness, and listening to the majestic music played, my eyes welled up with tears at that very moment.

With all these that I am relating to, how can I not say that the media has no influence on my life?

The media has even shaped me to take interest in characters in movies. Like, hello, I can so play the character of Theodore in Alvin and the Chipmunks. Not only so, I can completely recite a scene from madagascar and perhaps even verbally bring you through Moulin Rouge and sing every song in it to you.

Try me! (HAHA)