Theories of the Information Society, Third Edition - Cryptome

REGULATION SCHOOL THEORY
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would draw attention to phenomena discussed in previous chapters, namely the
construction of a symbolic environment that reaches right around the globe and is
organised, in very large part, by media TNCs.
This has many important social and cultural consequences, but here I would
emphasise only the bringing into being of an information domain which provides
people with common images. For instance, movies originating in the United
States achieve far and away the largest audiences wherever they are shown
across the globe. The top twenty movies worldwide of all time are all American
products, ranging from Titanic (1997), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
(2003), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), Star Wars 1 (1999) and Jurassic
Park (1993) at the top, through Forrest Gump (1994) and Men in Black (1997) at
mid-point, to Aladdin (1992) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). None
of these grossed less than $500 million, and Titanic took almost $2 billion. These
movies were box-office leaders in Germany, Britain, Italy, France, Spain, Australia
and the United States – indeed, pretty well everywhere where there were
cinemas. This situation provides audiences, widely diverse in their responses and
dispositions though they be, with a mutual symbolic sphere – and much the same
could be said about today’s television shows, news agencies or, indeed, fashion
industries. I would not wish to over-exaggerate this phenomenon, and for sure
nationally centred media remain very important (Tunstall, 2006), but still it is true
that globalisation is bringing into being shared symbolic spaces.
However much one might want to qualify statements about just what consequences
there might be when it comes down to particular people and particular
places, this globalisation of communications has a significant part to play in the
functioning of the global economic system. It cannot be said unequivocally that
American television soaps dispose viewers towards the lifestyles portrayed,
that the advertisements carried successfully persuade, that the designs displayed
in the movies stimulate yearnings among audiences, or that the rock music
emanating from Los Angeles and London encourages the world’s youth to seek
after the styles of clothing of and foods eaten by its performers. Moreover, it is
unarguable that these global images often incorporate several elements of
different cultures so they are not unidirectional in their orientation. In this respect
Ulf Hannerz’s (1996) description of ‘Nigerian Kung Fu’ is apposite. But what
surely cannot be dismissed is the view that it is hard to imagine large parts of
the world’s economic forces continuing without the underpinning of this symbolic
milieu. It may not be sufficient in itself to persuade, but it is necessary to most
commercial endeavour. To this degree one may conclude that the globalisation
of communications plays a supportive, if at times tensive and even contradictory,
role in the global market system of which it is itself a major manifestation. It is
hard to conclude anything else given the centrality to contemporary marketing
of ‘branding’, the association of products and even corporations with imagery
which is propagated through the media industries. Consider in this light the
centrality of symbols to Nike, to Calvin Klein or to the Virgin label. These brands
may on occasion be damaged or subverted by aspects of the global media, but
it is indisputable that without it they would not prosper at all.
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