How is my media consumption affected by globalisation?

Nguyen Xuan Hieu, a student at Swinburne Ho Chi Minh City, reflects on the ways in which globalisation reaches into the media landscape of Vietnam.

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In the era of globalisation, media consumption is greatly influenced by the interconnectedness and flow of information across borders (Thussu, 2006). In this essay, I am going to concentrate on how globalisation in general, and its divergent dimensions impact the way I consume films and journalism.

Globalisation refers to the elimination of multinational boundaries and making it possible to permanently inform representations of life in different places (Appadurai, 2001, p. 22). Regarding the cinema contexts, globalisation was defined by Kim and Parc (2020) as the debated term includes not only the global expansion of markets and production but also the various related processes across different countries.

Genuinely, globalization has profoundly altered the way I consume movies by offering access to a vast array of films from around the globe. In the past, my movie-watching experience was limited to local theaters, which primarily featured well-known Hollywood productions. However, with the advent of digital streaming platforms, especially Netflix, which have benefited from the cultural and technological dimension of globalization, my cinema consumption has changed. Kim and Parc (2020) mentioned the technological dimension of globalized movies as cinematography and filming techniques advanced by integrating innovations from various countries. In this case, Lobato (2019) discovers in his book that to provide Netflix streaming to users around the globe, the system relies on a variety of interconnected components. These include a great number of international infrastructures such as power grids and undersea cables; devices and hardware to connect to the internet; or customer management software. The complex of these leverages this technology-driven service possible on an international scale, allowing me to watch niche movies that can not be seen at cinemas and diverse genres at home.

On the cultural dimension, streaming platforms allow users to explore cinematic works from various countries, diverse cultures, and languages, not mainstream products from Hollywood only (Asmar et al., 2022). As elaborated by Wang and Weng (2022), globalization has a significant impact on changing people's stereotypes and perceptions of others. For instance, Money Heist (Pina, 2017), a Spanish Netflix series that has gained global success and significantly altered my perception of Spanish culture. Previously, I believed that Spain was a “utopia” of happiness, romance, and energetic music in which people are immersed in love and dance to Flamenco melodies. Contrastingly, the film’s director highlights a contemporary look at Spanish society, the harsh issues like economic disparity or corruption, helping viewers understand modern Spain beyond typical tourist attractions (Rodríguez, 2023). In his product, Pina portrays Spanish people as not only romantic and full of enthusiasm but also resilient and deeply complicated. Thanks to this series, I have not only changed the way of comprehending different cultures in movies but also media in general.

Moreover, my movie-watching experiences are also leveraged by the economic dimension of globalization. The rise of international co-productions and the distribution have enabled film producers to tap into global markets and relatively reduce harsh expenses, facilitated by government like sponsorships or tax reliefs (Parc, 2020; Lorenzen 2007). This leads to higher production quality and more investment in movie values in both artistic and economic aspects (Moon et al., 2016). At this point, my movie-watching experience would be strongly enhanced. The Hobbit (2012) directed by Peter Jackson is a noticeable example of a movie that leveraged from having been produced globally. The New Zealand government provided a 15% rebate on all qualifying production expenditures within the country (Cheng, 2010), which was a substantial financial incentive for filmmakers to afford large-scale productions like The Hobbit. Additionally, this product also involved partnerships with international companies and investors such as Weta Digital (WetaFX, 2024), a visual effects company operating globally. Such partnerships not only brought expertise but also innovation to the project.

In the journalism field, Reese (2010) mentioned that journalism and globalisation are inseparable as news is the key factor of media globalisation. Compared to the past, my knowledge of daily information is limited exclusively to regional and national data, which now expanded internationally thanks to globalisation. The success of global news networks like CNN, in which people across the world access the same news content on a 24-hour basis, has also been a contributing factor to the process of globalisation (National Geographic, 2023). Globalised news allows me to tap into diverse narratives and viewpoints from around the world, which is benefitted by the social dimension of globalisation. This exposure would broaden my understanding of global cultures and social issues, informing more about the experiences and challenges faced by people in different regions (Reese, 2012). For instance, living in Vietnam, a non-war country, I would easily neglect the aggressive political situations and violations around the world. Global-scale news network as CNN would become a bridge to approach the international latest information rather than local news.

Furthermore, Volkmer (1999) assumed that the "global public sphere" created by global news media represents a political space, which creates international forms of communication. Despite finding no interest in politics, in some aspects, globalised news allows me to compare how different media outlets report on political events, uncovering biases and gaining a more nuanced understanding of complex issues (Adegbola et al., 2020; Chen et al., 2020). To this extent, journalism is leveraged by political globalisation. To be exemplified, in Israel-Hamas warfare, while Al Jazeera News (2024) emphasises the aggressive actions of Israeli forces and the casualties among Palestinian protesters, AJC (2023) highlights the role of the Israelis as a defensive effort. By providing access to a variety of international news sources, this comparative approach helps me critically assess the political narratives presented by certain media and recognise the broader implications of domestic and international policies.

As has been elaborated, globalisation has profoundly transformed my consumption of films and journalism through divergent dimensions. This process has reshaped my perceptions of different cultures and enhanced movie-watching experience. Similarly, globalisation has also broadened my access to international news, allowing me to engage with diverse perspectives and biases, and enriching my understanding of global cultures and social issues.

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AJC Global Voice. (2023, October 8). What to Know About Media Bias in Coverage of Hamas’ Attack on Israel | AJC. Www.ajc.org. https://www.ajc.org/news/what-to-know-about-media-bias-in-coverage-of-hamas-atta ck-on-israel

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WetaFX. (2024). The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Wētā FX. Www.wetafx.co.nz. https://www.wetafx.co.nz/films/filmography/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey