detailed outline chapter 14

jihad faroukhi
dr.ibahrine
chapter 14: Patterns in global Communication: prospects and concerns
I)Introduction
At end of 20th Cent, USA Congress passed a Laissez-faire Communication (new world order for media around the world)
This was not a sign of democratization
content control was always held within state bureacracies or by the citizen-owners of the nation
media cartels have been formed to secure capital or dominate marketplace
information revolution seems to have come to an end or the very least a maturation
II) the Status of Infrastructure in the Com. Industry
information revolution called by some writers 'the com. age' or the 'era of new media'
Nicholas Negroponte calls it 'digital revolution'
wireless ind., ahieved through use of global satellites
a) the Global Satellite System
1965, Geosynchronous satellite (GEO) could handle only 240 voice circuit at a time
now: 40% of voice traffic
b) Asia-Pacific Rim
satellite established to serve Asian Pacific region
ex: AsiaSat, Insat, KoreaSat, Palapa, etc
New bus. development ('soft alliance')
Hybrid network: combines both space and terrestrial connections to deliver customer signals efficiently and economically
c) The Middle-East
progress through selling broadband internet access by satellite and DBS
ArabSat: ME most important service providers
d) Africa
with exception of some major cties, Africa's terrestrial com infrastructure is scarce at best and non existant at worst
new GSM installation (growing) in africa
3 million users of Internet in africa (having a pop of 700 million)
e) Europe
pioneer in the field of DBS and DTG transmission services
Eutelsat important
f) South America
Latin America is sustained by a variety of Trans-Atlantic Satellites, including Intelsat and PanAmSat, and thakns to the continent deregulation of the telecom sector
Argentina: region's satellite sector
g) North America
WTO agreement opened up the telecom market and formation of a Pan-American market for satellite services has emerged
US and Latin America operators form partnerships
USA monopolizes north american satellite market
second and third generation tech implemented
h) Global Internet Services
preeminent economies such as the ones of USA, Can, Japan, etc have perfected sophisticated fiber-optic telephone
USA becomes the 1st fully integrated digital telecom in world
base economies (developing countries relying on foreign aid)
Expectant economy
III) Privacy and Information Warfare
'the evil incident to invasion of the privacy of the telephone is far geater than that involved in tampering with the mails'
FBI capturing info of all kinds
a) Gov intrusion
Surveillance system called Echelon: under covenant UKUSA, observe and anallyze telephone, fax, email and Internet com
employs special computer program such as 'dictionary'
FIDNET: against terrorism
b) Int Information Warfare
spread of computer viruses, terrorists using propaganda
c) Int Debate concerning Free Access to New Media
In many expectant and base economies, info cannot be freely exchanged via Internet
media censorship in some Arab countries
IV) Global Economics, Transnational media, and Vanishing Culture
nostalgia for the past
traditional values vs globalization
a) Cultural Impact
flow of pop culture: a threat to local culture
freedom of expression; a right in the West legitimized by constitutional authority
in other parts of world; censorship easily tolerated as a form of civic responcibility within a legitimate social framework
stereotyping imagery
b) Economic Impact
create partnership
recent years: 3 trading blocs: EU, NAFTA and Pacific Rim partners
difficult to have eco progress without having access to com systems
human brain power: create economic wealth today
V) Conclusion
digital tech led to losing privacy, security, etc and sovereignty
coming change: a brain power