How does modernization play a role? What else did you learn about the U.S. role in international communication?
Again, remember to bring in a current topic, using any form of media.
Make sure one original post answering the questions and sharing the media item you found (don’t forget to say WHY you chose it) and at least one response to a classmate.
This week’s readings and video: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/books/review/Elkins.t.html?_r=1&
“AND TWO ATTACHED ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FILES”
*Should be at least 210 words and please cite the current topic related on this week’s issues. Easily understand english and easy words.*
After this week’s readings and lesson I learned that mass communication played a larger role in international conflicts than I had thought. I never thought of the U.S as someone using mass communication as a “tool for social management and as a weapon in social conflict”. I know we did use propaganda to build American spirit and support for the war but I didn’t know the extent of it. I knew that was something that happened in Hitlerite Germany and propaganda was used to promote the Nazi’s agendas, but it was interesting to see the extent of it used by the U.S and by the soviets to promote our different ideals. These two huge superpowers during the cold war, one promoting communism and the other capitalism. The US has had a big role in international communication. Many of the medians we use to communicate were created in the US. The more advanced our technology gets the more advanced communication gets. It also gets harder for superpowers to control the message being sent to people. Countries, like China, try to control this by banning sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter in an effort to keep the traditions of China and their ideals from modernizing. These new ways to communicate have opened the door to modernization in countries all around the world. The article I chose is about how twitter has become very popular in the Middle East, particularly Turkey and Saudi Arabia, A part of the world that has been modernizing rapidly particularly with this new form of mass communication.
