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Robert
Pascal OFM A paper presented at a seminar in Karachi on Globalisation. Pascal Robert, a Franciscan, with a doctorate from Leuven, is president of the National Catholic Institute of Theology, Karachi.
The advancement in communication technology has reduced the distances between countries. Further, the flow of information, transfer of technology and growing trade between countries is creating a universal culture. Thus modern society has indeed become global. The prophets of globalisation proclaim that they are working towards political, social and economic harmony and stability between nations. To have access to each other's country, market and information is considered a human right. The media in various forms plays an important role in the globalisation process. In fact one can call the present society an information society. Today the information of a simple event in one corner of world can be made known in seconds all over the world. This is possible due to the growing improvement in media; especially it is the work of the electronic media. Dish and satellite play an important role in spreading relevant information. The country which has the means and resources for transmission of and control over information technology can rightfully claim to be a developed country. In this article we explore the role of the media in the globalisation process and the importance which information technology has in society. We shall point out who controls this technology and the power they exert over those who do not have access to advance information technology (information technology is the new power which in being used by industrial countries along with economic power which is used to advance one's own interests). Further, we shall highlight the appalling information gap between the rich and the poor countries and between the elite and the masses in the globalisation process. Is this process not creating new kinds of misfits in the society? Finally, we shall ponder over the situation of Pakistan, its accessibility to advanced information technology and how it can benefit from its unavoidable influence. Importance of information Information has always played an important role in the development of cultures and ideologies. Communication and information have played and still play a vital role in the gradual growth of the human person into a social being. Revelation, the self-communication of God, is a means of contact between God and human beings and makes human beings capable of distinguishing between good and bad. The research done by the archeologist manifests that different lines in caves, writing and symbols on rocks, are signs of the human being's on-going urge to discover, invent and improve modes of communication among them. In modern times information technology has taken prominence in all fields of life. So much so that at present the credibility, capability, confidence and success of a person, institute and government to a great extent depends on how informed they are. At present information is not limited to any particular field or country. One cannot fix its boundaries, social or geographical. Cable information, computer software, have created an environment where nothing can escape their influence. Modern communication networks have an impact not only on individuals but have changed the whole economic, defense, educational, social and politics systems of the countries and world. Due to the global influence of information technology, people have a better awareness of the situation of other cultures and social conditions of other counties. Travelling has become easy, people can assist during the time of disaster, enjoy fruits and vegetables off seasons and can go to an exotic land when the weather of their land is not so pleasant (of course, these benefits are for those who can afford it). The importance of information technology is such that the structure of the whole modern educational, political and social system depends on this. American social scientist Alvin Toffler, is of the opinion that information will be the great power in the 21th century. That country alone will have power which has control over information. Information society Every age has its own vision of life, culture and thinking patterns. We have now shifted from a traditional family environment to an electronic media environment. Homes have become information centers. Even for recreation and relaxation we do not feel the need to visit friends or visit museums or stroll in the gardens. We get our recreation sitting at home from the screen and plug-in technology. We travel like air and light, we welcome the faster mode of communication. Likewise, we discard the less popular and out of fashion information technology. Having the latest gadgets has become a status symbol and become the focus of conversation in parties. Moreover, the demand of cable television, videocassette recorder and videodiscs is increasing compared to the traditional modes of communication, books, magazines and newspaper. Such a society has made us individualistic. We approach these gadgets not as means of social communications, but as entertainment Inequality of information There is a grave inequality in the resources, production and control of information. Developed countries, which are only 30%, own 90% of the resources and accessibility to modern means of communications. The one who is rich has power over media and uses it in a way to further wealth and control. In fact inequality began after the First World War when North America took the lead in every field of information. Now the situation is such that American goods for information stand second on their export list after military equipment. Today America leads in exporting TV programs,150,000 programs each year, while England is the next, exporting 20,000 programs each year. Even countries which have liberal trade systems, acknowledge that some programs can have a negative impact on the local cultures and traditions. Social impact Due to the influence of mass media there is considerable change in family life, social value systems and economic trends. New techniques of information have made homes into offices. In this sense it has to certain extent solved the problem of transport and being away from the family for longer periods. According to one survey about 34 million people work at home in America. And today everything is calculated: it is said that in such a set-up companies save on office expenses and parking places. Pro-democratic In a democratic system, the public is not passive but play an active role in determining important policies of the government. They consider access to information as their basic right. Democratic governments encourage discussion on important issues and at times are forced to change their polices due to public pressure. Public opinion influences domestic and foreign polices of a state because people are well informed these days. They are instantly aware of anything happening in distant lands and can analyse for themselves the consequences of such incident for their country and the world at large. In such a society the boundaries of people's thinking are unlimited. Impact on Journalism Due to the electronic satellite system a new media culture is created on the global level because reporters are associated with one or the other network. Thus reports are quickly printed and shifted to the screen. In a few minutes a report is edited and printed. Experts say that by 2020 people can read all their favorite newspapers on their personal computers. Global impact During the Second World War an English politician rightly said that this is the last world war which is being fought with traditional weapons. In the future, world wars will be in fought in trade and economy. Important international decisions will be economic, not political. Indeed political blocs have given way to economic blocs. the world is contracted to a computer screen where conversation is of dollars, pounds, yens and German marks. In the field of economics, information technology has brought a basic change in the working class, working situation and working relationship. There is growing competition with regards to possession and use of electronic media among the multinational companies of industrialised countries. There is a radical change in the speed and quality of the work. Human resources seem helpless in front of the technology giant. The question for the rich is how they can increase productivity with minimum investment. In a way aggressors have become more cagey in their ways in the exploitation of the poor. In the name of globalisation and open market policy, the electronic media is used to explore how best they can benefit helpless countries (western countries can condemn bonded labour in poorer countries, but they are not ready to liberate bonded nations). They force poor countries to open their markets in the name of open market policies but when it comes to their own markets and goods they practice protectionism. They erode the sovereignty of countries accprding to their own needs. The impact of information technology Information technology has a deep impact on our social life. This society has created opportunities for human beings for contacts and communication. It is important to benefit from this and one cannot do without it. Indifferent or being isolated the modern technology will endanger survival. The rich, whether in industrialised countries or developing ones, are the only beneficiaries of information technology. The majority of the people has limited or no access. Because of this technology the information gap is increasing between individuals and nations. The society is gradually divided into two classes, one class, well?informed, with a monopoly over information; the other poor, without power. Human intellectual history is every moment moving forward. Today decisions are not made only on the question of defense industry and strong economic situation, but along with that what resources one has and how advanced one's technology is to control the flow of information. The Third World is in a precarious situation. Here there is a famine of information technology. The reason for such a situation is partly because of our own priorities and wrong planning or lack of planning. We have failed to make a right assessment of the situation. Governments have somehow failed to understand the economic value of information. Unless they spell out their priorities they will not be able to face the challenge of information technology because technology is the result of an educational system. The present criminal neglect of governments of the Third World to educate their masses cannot produce modern technology. Pakistan and information technology We have to evaluate where we are in the international communication system, and whether we have the necessary infrastructure to link us to the international communication system. In the light of an information society and a revolutionary world, it is interesting to study the situation of the means and resources of information in Pakistan: In Pakistan 0.5% is invested on books; Total libraries: about 2000; Universities and colleges and other education institutes libraries: 600; Public libraries: 300; special libraries: 200; The number of books in the biggest public libraries: 310,000; The number of books in 20 Unversities: 24,76,480; In Pakistan there is no quality information service center, like data bank or clip service or to get relevant statistic and thematic information. We have seven TV stations, about 16 radio stations. The biggest limitation in Pakistan is that we do not have basic information structures. With low literacy rate we import information and we cannot compete with imported information. This imported information results in some negative influences of the society. Further, some of this information is not relevant to our culture and traditions. The information resources, which we have, eg, radio, TV, are under government control. Thus they mostly explain their point of view to promote their polices and are used for character assassination of the opposition. Further, useless and irrelevant information is forced upon the people. In such a situation, ignorance of the masses is considered a blessing. The society under consideration operates basically on education/knowledge. Technology is invented with knowledge and with knowledge it is organised and channeled for the well being of the society. According to the United Nation's survey on education, Pakistan is at the bottom of the list. In Pakistan the number of illiterate is about 50 million. 30 million children are unable to get basic education. More than 50% of the population have no access to medical facilities. 51% are not able to get clean water. One third of the population is caught up in poverty. In the list of 160 developing countries, Pakistan's number is 120. According to the report of international science and technology what Pakistan and other developing countries need at present is information and appropriate technology; relevant policy and decision-making information, equal participation in International Net Works assistance in building an information infrastructure, increased utilisation of information technology and co-operation among developing countries. A colonial heritage has killed the spirit for right knowledge that makes possible new ways and means for education and research. Therefore we cannot create in ourselves the capability through which we could benefit from modern technology. This has widened information gap between developed and developing countries. Unfortunately, we still have the same political system, which we received from the colonisers. The ignorance and poverty of the masses and the alliance of the elite with the imperialists has made it impossible for us to benefit from information technology. However it is not anymore possible to completely isolate the masses from the impact of the media. The new information technology has started influencing the masses. People have started protesting against the social evil like, ignorance, inequality, injustice, corruption, opportunism and nepotism. The Global Media Focus Vol 18 No 3 1998
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