The Geopolitics of Information
ESSAY:
The Geopolitics of Information – How Western Culture Dominates the World by Anthony Smith is a book that deals with a crisis resulting due to a great divide between the developed “North” and the under-developed “South”. The third world accuses the Western world of cultural domination through the control of major news agencies, unrestricted flow of cultural products, financial power of advertising agencies, international newspaper chains, etc. Various technological advances mainly concentrated in the hands of the West. This has resulted in a repression of traditional cultures in the Third World countries.
In the time the book was written, the world could easily be divided into two main systems – Communism and Laissez-faire. Western nations shared a common belief in the separation of power between the press, and government. On the other hand, Socialist countries had a belief that press must only present information consistent with the society’s acknowledged goals. However, in the developing countries it was argued that the state machinery is so weak that the change and movement brought about by press would make social and political settlement impossible.
The Western news agencies are blamed for controlling the thinking of the Western people. They give the image of South characterized by famine, poverty, corruption and disorder. This in turn, hurts the interests of developing nations in search for capital, and a share of world resources. Thus, there has been a pressure on Western governments to “interfere in the control and content of the press”. (page 15) On the other hand, governments in the developing world have come up with their own justifications for domestic repression on journalism.
The first chapter of the book, “The old international information order” gives the reader an insight into history. After a look deep into the history, Smith discusses events in the last century. By 1970, developing countries had started experiencing great
The Geopolitics of Information – How Western Culture Dominates the World by Anthony Smith is a book that deals with a crisis resulting due to a great divide between the developed “North” and the under-developed “South”. The third world accuses the Western world of cultural domination through the control of major news agencies, unrestricted flow of cultural products, financial power of advertising agencies, international newspaper chains, etc. Various technological advances mainly concentrated in the hands of the West. This has resulted in a repression of traditional cultures in the Third World countries.
In the time the book was written, the world could easily be divided into two main systems – Communism and Laissez-faire. Western nations shared a common belief in the separation of power between the press, and government. On the other hand, Socialist countries had a belief that press must only present information consistent with the society’s acknowledged goals. However, in the developing countries it was argued that the state machinery is so weak that the change and movement brought about by press would make social and political settlement impossible.
The Western news agencies are blamed for controlling the thinking of the Western people. They give the image of South characterized by famine, poverty, corruption and disorder. This in turn, hurts the interests of developing nations in search for capital, and a share of world resources. Thus, there has been a pressure on Western governments to “interfere in the control and content of the press”. (page 15) On the other hand, governments in the developing world have come up with their own justifications for domestic repression on journalism.
The first chapter of the book, “The old international information order” gives the reader an insight into history. After a look deep into the history, Smith discusses events in the last century. By 1970, developing countries had started experiencing great