Media and Cross-cultural Interaction

The media is considered a product of science and technology development, which is advancing all the time. The media, a double-edged sword, can have positive effects on the everyday life of mankind as well as negative ones. The influences of the media on cross-cultural interaction, at the same time, turn out to be complicated.

1.       Functions of the media

1) Function of communication

We have to admit that apparently the media plays a role of great significance in communicating and conveying information on cultures and situations of various nations and regions on the earth. Especially during the modern era, when globalization is developing at a high speed and a country could hardly survive without communication or trade with others, media has been an indispensable conveyor. It provides opportunities to different nations and areas to get to know more about each other, as a result of which, it hopefully shortens the ‘distance’ between states, tightens the relations, and promotes the level of globalization. It helps people to understand and comprehend the outside world and broadens people’s horizon.

I still remember the interest and fun, when I was a child, brought by a popular Chinese TV program called “Zhengda Zongyi” (also called “Zongyi Daguan”), which took the audience together with the producer to ‘travel’ throughout the world via the live program. It displayed to us audience a great number of fascinating sceneries and amusing discoveries in other parts of the world. At that time, it appeared to me a magic conveyor which acquainted me with interesting information and knowledge.

2) Function of propaganda and affecting people

The function of introducing views and results of exerting influence on people’s thought and life style can be realized by two ways: what to convey and what not to convey.

After the World War Two, in the context of intensification of liberalist nations and communist nations, one of the first programs of the NHK was American-made movies, the purpose of which was to propagate liberalism and ultimately reinforce the strength of liberalism. On the other hand, little was introduced about the communism to Japan via media. Thus the life style of Japanese changed a great deal, from outfits to food to way of thinking.

The propaganda of various parties on TV during the Japanese election this year, I believe, made a great contribution to inform the nations and put forward the election.

2. Problems existing in the media and media report

 

1)      Divergences: what is the reality?

  Just like a tool, what kind of effects that the media may exert depends on how people use it. Originally, people who use the media tool are always standing in different status, living in different nations with diverse situations, having different experiences and opinions and speaking and thinking from different visual angles. As a result, the communication of information is more or less affected and limited by individuals who operate it. Thus come the divergences. Moreover, as audience, you may never manage to know the real truth, though different media are busy arguing with each other.

 

  I found it ridiculous when I saw and heard that China is a country of one-party rule in a Japanese newspaper, once in my Japanese class and once from the CNN news report on line, which is in practice not the reality to us Chinese.

  When it comes to the “Gyoza” issue, things seem to become more complicated. Several Japanese fell sick because of having had Chinese export dumplings so that “made in Japan” is written on almost all dumpling plastic packs now. However, on the other hand, in China, after it was reported that problems might be in Chinese companies at first, according to a series of investigations, it was said that when the dumplings had been exported to Japan, they were in a good state and definitely no harm to human health, but it was the Japanese side who had the dumplings stored for about one year until they remembered and repacked them and put them into the market which was the reason why Japan again permitted Chinese dumpling export to Japan. As far as I know, nobody in Japan has any idea about the report which the Chinese side considered to be the truth. Now it comes to the key question: which is the reality? When a Japanese student and a Chinese one meet to argue about this incident, I am afraid they would hardly come to a conclusion since both sides ironically have the evidence: the media. Unless you are one of those who have taken part directly in the investigation into that case, the reality is far beyond you.

2)      Judge a forest with a tree

 It is apparent that the report of the media has limitations in both time and capacity, which induces the one-sidedness problem. Each TV program has a limitation of time; every magazine has a limitation of pages. Owing to the limitations the changes of an issue that had once been reported may not be displayed to its audience newly, and at the same time, only a certain part, which is related to an incident, of a country or a region may be reported. Therefore, to the audience and readers, what is displayed before their eyes may probably be only one side or phase of a certain issue or a fraction of a nation, from which they are prone to define the whole issue or recognize the whole nation, especially when you read a report concerning an issue for the first time and just for once and without further consideration or doubt.

3)      Questioning: incomprehension and understanding caused by media report

 Like each family has its own stories, each country has its own situation, including social systems, social and political problems and particular history, etc. Incomprehension and misunderstandings therefore are always resulted in by these factors between different cultures.

 When an American friend of mine doubted and asked whether Chinese government really cares about its people, I was so stricken dumb with astonishment that it took me a few seconds to make sure and believe that that was the question. I was even somewhat annoyed by the question. At that time, I perceived that something that one might consider as ‘of course’ may seem impossible or unreasonable to another. He said that he had learnt from the American media that Chinese medical insurance and health care systems are lack of integrity and thus the Chinese are living in a bad condition. I realized that he and the American media had been judging China with an eye of developed country, with the development level of America, without considering the particular situation of developing China. My reply was “If China was as strong and as rich as America, we could do better.”

Media, the porter of information on different cultures and civilizations, can either deepen understanding, make and reinforce the friendship, or cause misunderstanding and arouse hatred between nations, intentionally or inadvertently. With the development of the world, how will the role that media plays in the cross-cultural interaction change and in what way will humankind use it are questions that need considering.

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