The Benign Nature of the Global Media Analytical Essay by Shaad

This essay argues that global media leads to a homogenization of culture and that the process is a benign one. It shows that the global media only function in a free market, and further argues that the free market respects the multiplicity of cultures. In order to make this point, it considers the historical emergence of mass media from its beginnings in servicing the public sphere. Using Weber's analysis of post-industrial society, it shows how market-driven efficiency gave rise to the multinational corporation and a more benign global media in the interests of globalization. The writer shows that globalization is an integrative rather than a dictatorial process, and thereby refutes the arguments of cultural imperialism. Finally, the writer demonstrates how globalization works as a force of emancipation in the developing world, where otherwise local regimes contrive to stifle democracy and the public sphere.