On the imbalance of international communications

Abstract

INTERNATIONAL communication today is For this typified by the southern flow of Information, from the northern hemisphere to the south- ern hemisphere, dominated by the de- veloped nations in information gathering and dissemination, and intensified by tech- nological advances in communication in the last two decades. The incessant cries of "cultural Imperialism," "cultural domina- tion," and "cultural invasion" echoing from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America have precipitated a rigid control of communication in many developing coun- tries. The imbalance of communication flow, castigated, and denounced by every developing country, is considered to be the source of all evils, ranging from the failure of politico-economical policies and erosion of social norms and values to street crimes and prostitution; nevertheless, the verdict is still not yet in. This study attempts to illustrate the fundamental problems, to ex- plore the consequences of communication imbalance, and to examine communication dysfunctions in order to provide a set of solutions specifically addressed to the ell- mination or the reduction of the detrimental effects of communication dysfunctions. In the meantime, evidence is provided to sub- stantiate the contention that communica- tion imbalance can be eventually corrected, not by control but by allowing the free flow of all types of communications. Japan is a typical example: she absorbed the best and discarded the disharmonious features of Chinese and Western civilizations. Further attempts are also made to examine the in-herent, natural immunity of cultures against alien concepts and practices. The conclu- sion is aimed at the battle cries of "cultural imperialism": much ado about nothing.

Information Trends in South Africa with Specific Reference to the Development of an Information Policy for the Electronic Media

“…The southern flow of communication from the Northern to the Southern hemisphere, dominated by the developed countries, and intensified by technological advances in communication during the last two decades, have caused alarm. Developing countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America have accused the developed countries of 'bultural imperialism", 'bultural domination" and 'bultural invasion" (Hsia, 1985).…”

“…In South Africa with its complex cultural and ethnic the quantity and contents of information being abcomposition, it will become particularly important to sorbed (Hsia, 1985). This may all be perfectly true, satisfy in these groups different information needs, but what about the simple pragmatic consideraby adaptation of media contents, new mixes, more tion of overload, and economic waste?…”