Saturday, May 5, 2007
Picture from wikipedia - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Tianasquare.jpg
Found in: http://www.n-line.co.uk/2005/06/05/tiananmen/
accessed 29 April 2007
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Reflections:
This is the famous picture of the Tiananmen incident in 1989 in China where students stood up to the government, wanting freedom but they were squashed, both literally and in their demands. The picture shocked the world as it showed the government’s ruthlessness and the determination of the students. The picture was also significant as it contradicted the government’s statement of how no protesters where killed. This issue (the Tiananmen incident) will not be commented on but rather what the picture represents will be discussed – how the media challenges the government and the politics of a country.
The media has proven in the past that it can be a tool of the government or a threat to the government. The impact of the media is amplified by globalization through the development of technology. With the help of the internet and other gadgets like camera phones, images captured can travel over time and space. The internet spreads throughout borders with no regard for governments and this in turns has given the media amazing power. The Tiananmen incident occurred in 1989 but its images have been immortalized on the internet. Although it occurred in China, other countries came to know of it through the internet, newspaper reports and the television.
The ability and tendency of the media to spread and reach all has proven to be a challenge to governments. Some countries try to control the media through censorship. Others may control the media directly and impose restrictions on the media dictating what they can or cannot report. However, censorship is not always effective and the people may become aware of the facts that the government may be trying to hide. However, there have been many instances where the media have managed to expose some content deemed unsuitable by the government. This can be seen in the example of the Tiananmen incident.
With the rise of the internet and the increasing ease of posting clips onto the internet, countries are finding it more and more difficult to persuade the media to do their bidding. Last month (April 2007), clips that are/were deemed offensive to King Bhumibol of Thailand were posted on YouTube. The Thai government wanted the clip removed however YouTube refused to do so. The Thai government has since blocked access to the website and is now looking to sue YouTube on the charge of an offence against the monarchy. This shows that governments are losing power with the media and can no longer get them to do their bidding. As a result of globalization, the media now has the power to challenge governments and they also have the opportunity to win. It is evident that as the media gains power, the government loses it.
In our globalised society, much of the media, music and television, comes from the West and their ideology and lifestyle. This western culture is spread through the media and can have profound effects on governments. In the case of the East Germany, radio signals and television waves from neighbouring countries promoting the American dream and luxury of democratic life is said to be one of the causes for the collapse of the Berlin wall. Although foreign media was blocked, it still manage to find a way onto the people’s lives. Citizens, armed with knowledge and desire for a better and freer life too to the streets demonstrating and eventually caused the collapse of the Berlin Wall.The media knows no boundaries with the help of technology and it had a devastating effect on the communist regime in East Germany. As seen from the past, the media can empower the common folk and can be a deadly threat to the government.
Today, the media often circulates pictures of war, and these compelling pictures act as evidence for other countries to interfere. Pictures taken of the Iraq war have been used as ammunition by the people to try to get the American government to leave Iraq. However in today’s day and age of technology and software, it is increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction. It is now possible and quite popular to doctor photographs and make it look realistic. This can work both ways. People can doctor pictures to produce more sensational and compelling photographs but the government can always argue that pictures are doctored and not the real deal.
The media is no doubt rising in status and power, but just how powerful are they? The media gives the people information and can help them make an informed choice however, they cannot control the minds of their audience and what actions their audience takes is entirely up to them. In the Rwanda genocide of 1994, there was extensive international news media coverage on the event and images and details of the genocide were broadcasted worldwide. Despite this, international organizations and many countries refused to intervene and stop the war. While the media provides evidence and justification for the intervention of other countries, it can only try to persuade governments to interfere but this is not a done deal. While the media has the ability to challenge the government, it is still unable to control the government and is unable to influence their decisions.
All of the above points to the media giving power to the people although it erodes the government’s power. However this is a completely different story if the government controls the media and uses it for propaganda. If the government were to use the media as a tool to channel their views, it is possible for the government to control the minds of the readers through the readers. This has been done many times in the past for example in Germany under Nazi rule. However it is becoming increasingly more difficult to use the media for propaganda purposes. Even if the government succeeds in manipulating the media, the intended audience can get their information from other places, such as the internet.
With the advancement of technology, the media has developed rapidly. Although it can work for the government, most of the time it works against the government and interferes in politics. The current status of the media is thanks to the effects of globalization. And though it empowers the people, the media erodes the government’s power and weakens their position.
- Joanne, political expert
References:
Weekend Today (Singapore), Thailand to sue YouTube, 5th May 2007
Future Perfect; Political Expert
7:48 PM
Picture from wikipedia - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Tianasquare.jpg
