Media imperialism in Ireland

‘Media imperialism refers to the processes whereby the ownership, distribution and content of media in any one country are subject to substantial external pressures from the media interests of any other country’ (Long and Wall, 209: 206).

There are very different levels of Media imperialism. Starting with the exporting of media to another country. Examples would be between Ireland and England, Then there ownership and control over said media from the country that supply it. So begins the back and over between the two counties lending to the deployment of productions norm, and the institutionalisation of media commercialism. Then there an integration of ideas and the views of the country bring in the media infringing on the views of the country its being exported to. Doing so affecting the viewpoint of those counties to margin with the standard of the county causing the integration. Affecting national identity both limited and sovereign. But in doing so creating imagined communities through media use.

The reproduction and reinterpretation of value, tradition, history and symbols make up the distinctive idea of a nations identity. And the identification of individuals with that shared pattern and heritage. (Smith, 2001:18 in O’Conner, 2008:506)

This results in globalisation which is the integration of communication between counties, business and peoples in the world. An idea of the compression of the world through media use creating better movement of people and ideas and products. Also interaction of the world’s economies. This can lend to a dominance of multinational corporations and the destruction of cultural identities. Starting a global village model from local to nation level media to global media system. Meaning the global reach of new technologies. Causing small counties like Ireland on the edge of this global village to become dependent economy.

A public service model was introduction to controlled broadcasting in a globalise world. There is three phases of this communication policy. Phases one didn’t have any real goals or social or cultural content in media policy. Just protecting the interest of the nation. To help it along its path to communication. System treating it as strategies for the future. Irish had this phase in place till world war two causes we had just got own independents from Britain and where trying on stay distant from them.  Phase two had more of socio-political goals to it. Using mass media for political and social use. Ireland was still very focus on national interests. Lending to progressive change and a social planning government. This is when public service broadcasting was introduction. With the broadcasting act of act of 1960 set up to protect and restoring the Irish language. In doing so working to develop a national cultural. The public sphere was set up to serve the people fulfilling national, cultural and political goals. Unlike the commercial sphere which was set up to serve the needs of shareholder and advertisers with only for the aim of profits

Horgan, McNamara and o’sullivan mapping Irish media pg 33-88

 Global village nation hollowed out Jessop (1993)

Globalisation: 308-318, Elliott, A (2009) contemporary social theory

The public sphere: Hodkinson, 2011

Long and Wall, 209: 206

Imagined communities, Anderson, 1991

Smith, 2001:18 in O’Conner, 2008:506

Hesmond haigh, D and Toynbee, J 2008 the media and social theory lindens, routledge pg 95-111