Index
1.
Extract
2.
The
great void
3.
The
coercive power of law is not enough
4.
Main
woes
5.
Advertising
reflects the pattern of production and consumption
6.
Governments
have the highest responsibility
7.
Most
of the world’s population lives in poverty
8.
Underdevelopment,
wealth and poverty
9.
Conclusions
1. Extract
The mass media have a decisive influence on the collective behavior.
They generate specific conducts and attitudes in most members of society.
Media are more powerful than guns. People obey the weapons because of
their potential for destruction, its ability to cause death; in change, the
mass media persuade and influence people decisions because their messages go
directly to the conscience. The weapons
have an effect of coercion, the media an effect of persuasion.
Most people place great credibility to the media and are willing to take
its direction. So, in the practice, the media has become an over-power, a power
that is above all other powers in society.
2. The great void
Until the 19th century the media had limited influence; books
and newspapers were the main means. In the 20th century the
situation changed dramatically, especially since the fifties with the massive spread
of television. In the 90s the situation experienced another major change with
the internationalization of television via satellite, allowing all citizens of
the world to know when it happens elsewhere in the world, and now, with the
power of Internet, which is the most advanced progress in information and
communication.
In market economy countries that immense power of the media has been
serving the market to stimulate the sale of products and services through
advertising. The primary goal of advertising is to promote consumption;
however, consumption does not mean development.
In the world there is a huge communication gap: the lack of campaigns to
foster behavior patterns to stimulate economic and social development. Campaigns
for teaching basic health standards, preservation of environment and nature,
consumer education campaigns to not be a victim of unfair trade practices, are
notably absent. In the recent years I have seen one exception: was in 2009 when
there was the N1H1 flu epidemic. At that time, the Director of the World Health
Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, conducted a global campaign to teach the rules
to prevent the spread of flu, which threatened to become a global epidemic; unfortunately,
the campaign lasted only a few days.
3.
The
coercive power of law is not enough
Without the cooperation of citizens cannot be full compliance with the
laws and public policies. Therefore, the information policy of the governments
and the information conveyed by the private media are essential elements for
the proper development of society.
In today’s world, where there are already 7 billion inhabitants, laws
and public policies, to succeed, must be accompanied by adequate information
and communication policies through the mass media. Only through the media can
reach as large number of people in the world, because the messages of the media
now come to the most remote places on the planet. In the 60s began the
revolution of the transistor, the small radio that had the most people in all
countries of the world. That transistor revolution continues today through cell
phones, the Internet, radio and television with global coverage.
4.
Main
woes
In developing countries especially, there are situations that could
improve significantly through public policies and development of campaigns to
promote cooperation in the population: a) overpopulation, b) pollution in
cities, c) forests destruction, d) pollution of water sources, e) population
health.
I recently read that the major of a Chinese town began a campaign to
teach its citizens that they should not spit in the streets. In a Latin
American capital a major has developed a campaign to educate its citizens not
to let their pets pollute the city streets; in some countries, private media
also campaigning for environmental protection. But the efforts of these leaders
and media are insignificant compared to the magnitude of the problems.
There is no national or international policy of sufficient broad and
deep to address the problems of overpopulation, environmental or public health
worldwide.
5.
Advertising
reflects the pattern of production and consumption
Advertising does not change the pattern of production of society. Sells
advertising that exist but does not encourage the creation of new products,
other than those on the market. The most important for advertising is the brand
promotion and competition.
What modifies the pattern of production and consumption of the society
are the expectations of the entrepreneurs, who, in search of higher profits,
create new products and employ advertising to sell their new products.
Education campaigns to protect the environment and the health of
population are not developed by the commercial advertising because they are not
business for advertisers, who focus its attention in the promotion of their
brands.
6.
Governments
have the highest responsibility
Governments have a greater responsibility in the promotion of the common
good; therefore, governments should be the big promoters of mass education
campaigns to stimulate social and economic development.
7.
Most
of the world’s population lives in poverty
The distinction between rich and poor nations is not strictly truth
because in the biggest rich nations most of its population is poor. But,
obviously, the phenomenon of poverty is greatest in developing countries, which
constitute more than two thirds of the world.
In developed nations, poverty is mitigated by the existence of social
benefits that provide some benefits to the poor: food, medicine, shelter and in
some cases, a little pension. In recent years those benefits are being
eliminated or reduced in the most of the rich industrialized nations of Europe,
such as Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece.
8.
Underdevelopment,
wealth and poverty
Underdevelopment is a cultural problem, a problem of lack or reduced
formal education and citizenship education. In change, poverty is a problem of
lack of material means of life.
A developed nation is a country which population has an adequate level
of formal and citizen education and enough means of life. Underdevelopment is
the opposite.
But a poor country can be developed, because development cannot be
measured only in terms of material wealth but, simultaneously, in terms of the
education of its people, especially in the education as citizens in respect of
the basic rules of life and coexistence.
A country of great material resources which destroy nature and
environment, which pollute the air, destroy forests and waters, cannot be considered
a developed country; can be rich but not a developed nation.
9.
Conclusions
-
The
media are essential tools for promoting economic and social development because
of the magnitude of the world’s population: 7 billion people. The unique way to
reach this vast population is through messages from the media. The campaign of
the World Health Organization in 2009 is a good example. Through the mass media
was transmitted the measures to prevent spread of H1N1 disease.
-
International
organizations, United Nations, World Bank and the national governments should
develop global campaigns to address major world problems: a) overpopulation, b)
pollution in cities, c) destruction of forests, d) pollution water sources, d)
population health. Only an effort of this nature can create conditions for achieving
the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.
-
Overcoming
poverty requires a great effort not only material but a great deal of education
for coexistence in harmony with nature and the environment and respect for the
rights of the other human beings.
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