Media is consider as the forth
pillar of State after executive, Legislature and judiciary. Media is not just a
way of communication, it becomes a big effector in our lives as our perceptions
and actions are concern. Media plays a very important role to propagate the
people’s view, so that’s why media has itsown Influence on our society as well
as on individuals in many aspects.If we compare thecross-cultural effects of
media in different societies, we see some difference among the results. When we
talk about media, there are many sub-categories, for example: Television,
Newspaper, Radio, Films, theater, magazines, social media (Including different
websites) etc.Now day’s media is very effective tool to promote the culture and
create influence of culture through assimilation.
Let’s define a very important and most common resource of media ’’Television’’
to determine the cross-cultural effects of television and elaborate the compare
and contrast analysis.
A shorts history of television:
In 1884 a Russian scientist develop a “Nipkow disc” a first device to generate
electrical signals for the transmission that can be visible. Later on in 1923
‘Vladimir Zworykin’ developsaiconoscope which was the first television camera
tube. After all the hard work the first exhibition of television was held in
1939 on the occasion of World’s Fair (New York).
Impact of Television on Pakistani society:
In Pakistani Society television is much common as a necessary part of their
lives. Television brings social change in our society in many aspects, like the
way of perception is changed with the involvement of television in the lives of
Pakistanis. In Pakistan media is heavily politicized and being use by different
Political leaders as their propaganda device. Television promotes the
educational services especially religious teachings towards the societal change.
With the promotion and viewership of Indian and Turkish dramas people are
becoming a part of cultural assimilation and adopt the culture of others as,
food , language and dresses depicts the cultural change in Pakistani society.
Television ratings is becoming such a important thing that creates a media war
among the television channels and through this competition war, many ethical
values and truth taste the dust and cause negative impact on the society.
Impact of Television on Indian Society:
Television is an important part of people’s lives in Indian Society, mostly in
urban and Semi-urban areas. Over the last 8 years, television sets ratio become
10 times increases in numbers in India. Television brings more modernity in the
lives of Indian people. In Indiansocieties, through televisionstereotypes
regarding women are one of the common act that is shown through different dramas
and commercials as homemakers and sex objects. it also promotes violence against
women and give the depiction of women as dependent and more emotional human
being. These all acts cause a gender conflict in the society and
promotelawlessness among the anti-gender factors. But most glittering impact on
the Indian society due to television is the promotion of their heritage
including the culture, norms, traditions, language, religion etc. Television is
widely used as a political weapon through political ads and political shows.
Impact of Television in United States.
Television is having its important presence in the lives of Americans, people
spent several hours while watching television in their daily day routine. They
of the opinion that, television takes the place of human interaction with others
like family, friends, and religious places. Television is a way to form values
and Ideas about the world and has the attitude impact about the other people.
Television influences the thinking of different people to an important issue of
the society as racism, gender and class. Television also creates impact by using
it as a political weapon in the United States by conducting media campaigns.
Television viewership also increases the American’s materialism views, and most
importantly television promotes the American Culture to all around the world.
Compare and contrast Analysis:
As we compare the finding of these three different societies, we can conclude
that, television is become a political weapon for the political parties. The
second thing is the importance of television is now becoming very important in
these three societies as the promotion of Cultural antities.
As the “Gerbner” explains the 3 “B’s” of television that
“Television BLURS the traditional distinctions of people’s view of their
world.
TelevisionBLENDS the people’s realities into the cultural mainstream.
It BENDS that mainstream reality to its own and its sponsor’s institutional
interests”
So in these 3 societies this concept of television is fitting as expected.