Overview of the global situation

Ullamaija Kivikuru(most facts from Robert Picard)

Distribution of newspaper circulation worldwide

Distribution of radio receivers worldwide

Distribution of television receivers worldwide

Distribution of advertising expenditures worldwide

Internet availability worldwide

Access to Internet adjusted according to population size

South African media (2007)• Newspaper availability 24,7 % of population• Radio availability 92,7 % of population• Television availability 78,8 % of population•

• Fixed line telephones 4,7 million• Mobile phones 33,9 million• Computers per 1000 inhabitants 88• Broadband connections per 1000 1,3• • Population 46 million• Source: Furie: Media Studies. Media History, Media and Society. Pretoria: JUTA

(2008)

Reasons for imbalances (Picard &al)

• Changes in mediscapes are extremely slow• Literacy (Africa: male 72 %, women 55%)• Lack or uneven distribution of electricity (2

billion people without electricity), in Asia and Africa 2/3 of the people lack electricity

• Telephones: globally 17 fixed line telephones and 78 mobile phones for 100 inhabitants (Mali 1 fixed line phone, Germany 55; Haiti 40 mobile phones per 100, Finland 156).

Reasons for imbalances, cont.

• Lack of capital or control of the available capital to other purposes; role of advertising.

• Consumption of media by audiences: no money for such luxury.

• Disparity of resources within countries (especially visible in digital divide).

• Problems in infrastructures (roads, distribution, etc.)

News flow today • Global news structures roughly the same as in the 1970s

(Reuters, AFP, AP; specialised agencies & services);• More (and fast) picture exchange;• Global providers stronger than ever, national agencies in

trouble;• News criteria roughly the same as in the 1970s (more

background information today); focus on conflicts, catastrophes, sports, celebrities;

• Media systems giving most space for foreign news in small industrialised countries (Finland 20-30% of the news hole, UK 14 %, US 2-3 %).

• Proportion of foreign news decreasing also in elite media.

AgencyLilie Chouliaraki, Simon Cottle:

• How do the media work to generate sociability and compassion?

• Compassion fatigue: media are overburdening spectators with news of human pain and misfortune;

• Adventure, emergency, and ecstatic news get attention;• Dimensions of proximity–distance and

watching–acting;• Post-humanitarianism, performance centred,

celebrities, etc.