martes, 18 de septiembre de 2012

How the mass media can contribute to economic and social development



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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