Mass or massive media in its present form and structure has become the most effective tool in the pursuit of globalisation and hegemony. In this information age, electronic media has taken over the role of teacher, preacher and parent. Media is one of the most powerful and influential educational tools in modern life.
Yet, as it is often used today, massive media shows no regard for the person on the other side of the communication table. Its very nature and structure aim at magnitude in reach where people are treated as mere numbers -- nameless and faceless. The greater the reach, the greater the massiveness; the greater the massiveness, the greater the tendency towards one-way communication.
To capture the interest of the many, mass media programmes are well packaged in the form of entertainment, information and educational tools. However, often these programmes merely become means of mass promotion. Producers are kow-towed and controlled by management policies and objectives that seek huge monetary returns or political gains at the expense of the people, and in the sacrifice of their interests. Since sophisticated massive media technology is extremely expensive, only an elite minority can afford the installation of such equipment.
Economically, the Asia-Pacific Region is emerging as the megamarket of the world. More than half of the world's population live in Asia alone. In terms of sheer numbers, therefore, Asians account for the largest mass media consumers. Asia has become the centre stage of the media world. Cable networks and satellite broadcasting is developing at a staggering rate of more than 15 percent per annum. Likewise, cinema, video and audio cassette businesses are booming.
More than 40 satellites currently provide broadcasting and communication services in the Asia-Pacific. Approximately 50 of the 700 transponders aboard these satellites are used for television transmission, ranging from satellite news gathering to programme distribution for cable systems. Approximately 25 direct-to-home (DTH) channels serve the Asia-Pacific, at least ten of which reach a major part of the region. With the advent of compression technology and the launching of a number of new satellites, the number of channels is expected to more than double in just three to four years. The rapid pace and scale of these changes will no doubt have enormous implications on the nature of mass communication in the new millennium.
There are two major types of media operating in Asia today. Firstly, the popular, commercial media which is used primarily for monetary benefit and entertainment in every form. This type of media is laying the groundwork for a homogenous global lifestyle based on a materialist and consumerist socio-economic framework. It tends to, consciously or not, simplistically and summarily obscure the uniqueness of cultures and the specificity and diversity of life.
The second type of media is owned by governments, some non-profit religious groups and non-commercial networks. This type of mass media sometimes broadcasts educational materials and so-called development support communication packages, as well as religious teachings and values. However, these programmes tend to be based on a specific framework aimed at promoting either government or religion.
Despite the economic progress achieved in the Asia-Pacific region, the majority of Asians, particularly women in rural areas, continue to live in desolate and miserable conditions. Similarly, despite the proliferation of massive media in the region, the bulk of people in Asia remain deprived of the benefits of this powerful educational tool. Both types of media have significantly failed to reach the poor whose need for education is greatest. The apparent reason for this inability of present forms of mass media to reach the poor lies in their failure to encourage genuine participation by rural people and communities.
It is now accepted that the outcomes of development activities are more effective and sustainable when development processes fully involve people in the communities concerned. Current trends in development have consequently shifted towards a pursuit of democratic and community-based approaches. Multilateral and bilateral development agencies, including bodies of the United Nations such as UNDP and FAO, have started the practice of decentralisation and regionalisation. Attempts are also being made to integrate international development strategies, indigenous knowledge and values, and community-based strategies for development.
As a tool, mass media can only produce positive and lasting improvements in the lives of the rural poor, including women, when there is genuine participation of communities themselves. Based on a participatory community-based approach, radio can thus be used as a powerful vehicle to reach rural households in Asia in order to enhance their educational levels and overall well-being on a massive scale.
