American Media Influence on Global Culture Essay -- Television Enterta

American Media Influence on Global Culture Pop culture is a term coined by sociologists to define American media influence today. Society is bombarded with themes that define pop culture: progress, material gain, individual freedom and wealth. Media, in particular television commercials, movies, newspapers and radio stations, encourages Americans how to think, what to buy and where to live. According to a study done by graduate students at Harvard, as technology expands and media corporations seek audiences in foreign countries, fear of global cultural homogenization by American pop culture increases.[1] However, many barriers prevent American influence from producing cultural changes. Although American media companies develop overseas, their influence is not as powerful or acceptable as it is in the United States. Media Expansion It’s no surprise seeing CNN, MTV or the faces of Hollywood movie stars on European television. American media has increased in exports so much that the goal of every major media giant is to set up new markets outside the United States. Books, magazines, movies, T.V. programs and computer software have surpassed agricultural and traditional factory products as the United States largest category of exports.[2] Exporting entertainment products in 1996 totaled $60.2 billion and has been drastically increasing every year. In Turkey and Greece, recent state-owned monopolies have been replaced by private-owned industries under pressure from the United States government, the IMF and the World Bank, making access to foreign media more common and easy. Since then, particularly in broadcasting, American corporations have intensified their reach to foreign countries.[3] Media Giants... ...p://countrystudies.us/turkey/86.htm> [14] Peterson, Laura. CNN Meets the Turkish High Council. American Journalism Review. July 2000, Page 1. [15] Peterson, Laura. CNN Meets the Turkish High Council. Page 4. [16] Inside VOA. [17] Vernon, Wes. Voice of America Uses Eminem and Britney to Represent U.S. NewsMax, 10 October 2002, Page 1. [18] Vernon, Wes. Page 2. [19] Tardieu, Jerry. Fear of US Pop Culture Dominance Drives Anti-Globalization Sentiment. 7 February 2000.