The Locals Strike Back?

Abstract

The global market for cultural commodities has been characterized by profound imbalances and deepening processes of consolidation and concentration. Although these trends continue to be prominent features of the global media landscape, this article argues that its implications are not as damaging for local and national cultures as many theorists have claimed. First, recent theoretical and critical analyses of media and their impact on cultures reveal that cultural change has to be understood as a dynamic articulation between local and transcultural forces. Moreover, cultures are far more resilient than proclaimed and find numerous ways to diffuse and rejuvenate themselves. Second, and this is perhaps the main focus of the present article, recent developments in broadcasting across the world challenge the very basis of media and cultural imperialism theories and discourses. This challenge is raised by the significant growth in local and regional television production and programming, which is spurred on by the constitution of cultural diasporas.