Media’s Role in Development

Asking about the role of media in development and how it can foster social, economic, and political change would have resulted in different answers in the 1950s compared to today. As the world progresses, so do views on development. With this evolution comes a transformation in the use and perception of media in development. Starting with the example of telenovelas, it will be shown how media can spark important debates among its audience. This shift towards a diverse reading of media text is then discussed against the backdrop of the historical context of media usage in development. Then the importance of having access to communication services is discussed. Community-based media and popular media and their coming together as an entangled mediascape are then explored.

Sparking Dialogue

The Telenovela “Patito Feo” (2007, pictured) sparked concern among critics about the message it was sending out to its young female audience. The show centers around two groups of girls competing in music competitions. One group consists of the "divinas" who are perceived as popular, and beautiful but mean; the other group, the "populares" are perceived as the opposite. To critics, the show seemed to equate success to mean behavior. Looking at online debates in specific forums, it can be argued that the show helped the viewers navigate complex issues they encounter in their everyday lives concerning “race”, gender and class. This diverse reading of media text has increasingly been at the center of media and cultural studies (Cupples 2015: 351-352). The following chapter explores this paradigm shift.

Judging from the trailer of the telenovela "Yo Soy Betty, La Fea", which everyday problems do you think could be discussed when watching the show?

Shifts in Media-Devolopment

During the 1950s and 60s, when development projects were initiated, media was used to influences audiences in the Global South in a way that promoted Western agendas. This form of communication was paternalistic, as it instructed people what to do, and preferred over traditional and indigenous knowledge (Cupples 2015: 351-352). This was criticized as a form of cultural imperialism. Dorfman and Mattelart (1975) have argued that for example Disney movies have been used to promote US capitalist consumerism as inevitable and superior to a worldwide audience. This notion again has been challenged as it fails to include ways in which “global media products are indigenized as they travel” (Cupples 2015: 352). In recent years we have seen a shift towards interactive, multidirectional, participatory modes of communication (Cupples 2015: 352). “[D]evelopment must be a process that allows people to be their own agents of change” (Warnock et al 2007) if it wants to empower and enable a healthy, vibrant civil society.

How essential is access to communication?

Although the scientific community has accepted the described paradigm shift, there is still an ongoing debate about the importance and benefits of having access to communication devices in order to achieve developmental goals. A study conducted by the World Bank, which surveyed 40,000 individuals living in poverty, revealed that "having a voice" was one of their most pressing needs, second only to basic needs and improved income. Media is regarded as a potential tool to help improve living conditions by empowering people to participate in political action and developmental processes. It also provides people with the opportunity to engage in community-based media production, which enables them to represent their community members and bring attention to their key issues (Cupples 2015: 352-355).

Click here to learn more about community-based media.

Individual Sensemaking of Popular Media

As previously demonstrated, popular media can be used to initiate discussions about everyday issues. For this to occur, the media must be engaging and relatable to its audience, as media consumption is a part of cultural citizenship. Therefore, the inclusion of popular entertainment is crucial to the success of development communication. To learn more about how telenovelas and their use of melodrama connect with their viewers, watch the video provided below.

The Contemporary and Entangled Mediascape

All forms of media, popular or community-based, are interconnected and should not be analyzed as separate entities. This interconnectivity, known as media convergence, explains how these different forms of media interact with each other in ways that transform how media is consumed and created, ultimately leading to new ways of acquiring knowledge. A phone is used daily to communicate with friends and family or to keep up with one's favorite football club. However, it can also be used to film an act of political repression and spark change. Therefore, it is impossible to determine which types of media production and consumption are developmental.

Conclusion

The role media plays in development is highly complex. For it to be successful it needs to allow people to be their own agents of change. When discussing media, it's crucial to analyze how the viewer interprets the content, rather than just the intention of the media producer. This interpretation process involves a highly interconnected landscape of various media forms.

Friday, 11/17

Read and Summarize Cupples 2015.
Check out: A Case for Communication in Sustainable Development
Check out: BBC's International Development Charity
Check out: UNESCO Media Development

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