Disney and Globalization

Later this morning, September 29th, I plan on exploring the question: "How does globalization shape media products and industry?" In order to do this, I am going to analyze The Walt Disney Company and some of the ways in which they responded to globalization, and even contribute. Two key aspects I will discuss are the content and medium Disney uses, and has used throughout the companies history.

Throughout my presentation I would like the class to be reflecting on their view of Disney: if it sounds more like cultural imperialism or if it is just a company trying to appeal to a broader foreign market.

Important dates throughout our nation’s history coincide with many productions and medium changes of Disney. The company has always been known to be strongly right winged, but just how much influence did/does the government have on what the company produced?

As we have studied in class, media has been ever changing. Our society went from messengers on horseback, to print, to telegraph, and now Internet. Disney knew the importance of making the most out of every media medium possible. For example, when the first Disney TV show broadcasted, that was not enough. The company wanted it’s own network, which now they have more then one.

By recognizing the growth and power of the company we can see that their tactics have been successful.

By the end of the presentation I hope the class will be able to clearly see the ways in which Disney has tried and succeed to progress along with globalization. The company’s use of content and mediums is an apparent attribute of Disney’s strategy to move with globalization. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, their fist movie, to making on of the biggest purchases in history, the $19 billion dollar purchase of ABC network, Disney has made it’s way around the world and back.

Bollywood as a Manifestation of the Global Media Industry

Today, September 29^th, I will be discussing the case study addressing the question: How does globalization shape media products and industry? I will be examining closely Bollywood as a manifestation of the global media industry and how it relates to us as a society in the United States.

Bollywood is the largest film industry in India and the second largest film industry, behind Hollywood, in the world. The idea of a glocal community and globalization effect Bollywood but more closely I will be examining the cultural proximity and regionalization that surrounds Bollywood today. Cultural proximity relates directly to Bollywood films because although we are exposed to some Indian films in the United states, most of their films are targeted to the Indian audience because of the language and culture used in these films are associated with this particular audience. Regionalization also plays a direct role in Bollywood the bright colors, music, and wardrobe changes can be linked to American Broadway. Many Americans enjoy Bollywood films because of the musical innuendo that is in place in these films. I will also be addressing the issues that Bollywood faces today such as piracy and non-elite audiences in India connecting with the films.

How does globalization effect the media and its products? AlJazeera

On Thursday, September 29th, I will be discussing my case study answering the question, How does globalization effect the media and its products? I will do this by discussing how Aljazeera has become a predominant player in the global media scene, and address the roles it is playing today. There are many different trends in the media, which effect societies in different ways, but they still manage to integrate us into one world.

Aljazeera is the primary news outlet of the Arabic world, and claims to be the only non-political news outlet in the Middle East. Geographical closeness and cultural proximity helps media cross borders, but globalization allows media to spread even if it has long distances to travel. We now have a global media network that is telling us standardized information throughout the world. There are a few media outlets that dominate the industry, so people are only getting their information from fewer sources. North America is a major presenter in the media scene, meaning that it has an important role in presenting on the national stage. Recently AlJazeera has gained more public attention, and now we see clips of AlJazeera’s on CNN regularly. Transborder data flows carry values and ideas along with it making the world more of a global marketplace. One of the global issues I will be addressing is the unequal flows of information and ideas and how AlJazeera is progressively moving towards the free flow of information.

MPAA Movie Ratings (Media Law & Policy)

Today I'm going to talk about the MPAA - what exactly is it, how it self-governs, and whether or not the self-governing system it utilizes is ideal for this system. The MPAA is often argued to be a monopoly, and many people think it would be better if the government intervened and provided a unified standard for movie ratings. While the system is voluntary, it is dominant, and if a filmmaker wishes for their work to be seen by a large audience, it is a necessary process to go through. But is the method in which these films are rated fair? In reference to the question, "who monitors the media?" the answer in this case is the CARA, or the Classification and Rating Administration - a board of 10-13 members of carefully selected individuals who judge films based on their own opinions. The goal is to produce a unanimous rating decision about a particular film in order to inform parents on what is safe for their children. But again, is it fair? The identities of these board members are never known, yet they have such a huge influence on the film industry and the way it regulates. I myself did not realize how this process worked until I did more research, and I hope my presentation can shed some light for the class on the MPAA system and how it works.

Law and Policy Case Study

Media Law and Policy is a topic most people don't realize is out there. With the media these days being at the top of the interests chain, someone there to watch over and reason through the good and bad is quite necessary. So, I ask myself, "Who controls/monitors the media?" Tuesday in class, we discussed many organizations that protected the media in several different aspects. One struck me instantly, the Federal Communications Commission. This organization regulates interstate and international communication circuits. Recently, the FCC has built a plan, a National Broadband Plan costing $350 billion. The plan would be to implement internet access nationwide, providing internet to over 100 million people. The National Broadband Plan has many different sections, one particularly, Public Safety. I chose to explain this aspect of the monstrous plan because it indeed shares a large part of monitoring the media. Public Safety in the National Broadband Plan has been created to enhance emergency communication lines, build a safer place to live, and improve issues with cybersafety. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying on the subject of law and policy of the media. Because of the FCC, I now understand and see it all on a large scale. Media is everywhere, all around us! Without it life as we know it would not be the same. Appreciate the FCC, the National Broadband Plan, and Public Safety because without them, who would control/monitor the media?


http://www.broadband.gov/issues/public-safety.html
http://urgentcomm.com/policy_and_law/commentary/national-broadband-insult-20100408/

Howdy! I will presenting my case study tomorrow (Thursday September 15th) under the main headline, media policy and law. Upon reading the chapter in the textbook I realized that there is no main governing body to censor and regulate the internet unlike older media forms. So, this led me to question, who censors new social media, specifically blogs and personal websites?

I will begin my presentation by discussing the ease in which one can create their own website and then discuss the difference between company websites and personal websites. They are censored in different ways. Like I said earlier, there is no one governing body censoring the internet. Much is reliant on the marketplace of ideas which encourages self censorship so that companies can maintain their consumers. Personal blogs are different however because the motivation behind their creation is much different. They are held to their own standards, which to others may not always be appropriate.

I will follow this by introducing my specific case, mypsychoexwife.com. The ex-wife brought this website to the attention of a family judge who forced the website to be taken down because of the libelous statements and privacy invasion. Again, online content is only subject to federal law. And the 1st amendment does not protect against: defamation, obscenity, plagarism, invasion of provacy, and inciting insurrection. When creating blogs there are different privacy settings one can use. In this case the man, Mr. Morelli, used an open, searchable forum. The wife took this and argued that this represented an invasion of privacy, to both herself and their children. This case defends my argument because, the fact is, if the ex-wife had not complained the site would still be up and running. This man offended his consumer and she had the responsibility to take the issue to court.

My thought upon taking on this topic were to see how regulation effects the everyday users of social media. The fact is, the general public, the social media users and participants, are going to be the ones who report and censor the internet.

Law & Policy Case Study

Howdy! This Thursday I will be presenting a case study on the Federal Trade Commission. This weeks topic is over Law and Policy of new media and this week's question is "Who controls/monitors the media?" I hope to answer this question on the basis of the Federal Trade Commission and its mission.

The Federal Trade Commission was founded on the basis of other acts known as the Sherman and Clayton Anti-Trust Acts. These acts were passed in the 1800's to do away with trusts, which were considered monopolies. They were enforced in order to preserve a competitive economy and protect consumers. Woodrow Wilson then passed the Federal Trade Commission Act in 1914 which gave birth to the Commission. The Commission was given power to investigate and stop companies which were becoming monopolies and practicing unfair methods of competition. The Federal Trade Commission is run by five executives known a Commissioners. In order to keep up with the multiple diverse companies in the market today, the Commission has nine offices and three bureaus which process complaints and undergo the investigation and court procedures. Since the Federal Trade Commission deals with many situations throughout media, we will also be looking into some current events. Issues such as the Watchdog and Harmful Product situation have caused the Commission to undergo intense investigation.

Hopefully my presentation of the Federal Trade Commission will help you to understand a piece of what the government is doing to enforce fair usage to consumers of the media markets today. Thanks and Gig 'em!