Culture, Society and the Media

7

Cultural dependency and the mass media

J.O.BOYD-BARRETT

The focus of this chapter is on the role of the mass media in the poorer countries of the world, how the functions of the media relate to one or more definitions of ‘national development’, and especially on whether and how the media serve as channels for inter-cultural ‘invasion’ of the poorer countries by the more affluent and powerful nations. In other words, the central theme is the role of the mass media in relations of cultural dependency between nations. The title might suggest to some that this theme belongs in the study of ‘inter-cultural communication’. But others might argue that the heart of the problem lies in the imbalance of power between nations. Either way, this chapter ...