NWICO An International Debate on Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

NWICO An International Debate on Culture - Essay Example (Kirkpatrick, 2004. p 235 - 240) In this context, it has been held by people from various quarters that the Third World has been widely ignored on many counts that will be discussed through this essay. The West has been criticised for cultural domination in the operating values of the NWICO. This is a fact that comes across in role played by the U.S. when it comes to the creation and reproduction of this worldwide consumer society. This role might have reduced in significance, but there is still a strong American upper hand in the complementary institutions and the content that is transmitted. In terms of assessing the NWICO's stand regarding the third world criticisms of the cultural domination of the west, this essay tries to look at the justifications for such claims. Through a study of various examples from different areas, I will seek to discuss the options available to study and combat the disbursement of unequal information flow in terms of the results it reaps and the events it triggers. This paper will thus aim at an analysis of the conception of the Western strategy that is targeting the third world nations by giving them "false consolation". ... Origin of the Debate The debate revolving around unequal information flow in different corners of the globe first began in the 1970s. This was an overthrow of the demands by the Third World leaders for a New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO). At that time, these people tried to argue their case by stating that the control of major international information channels and sources is held tightly by the West and its media owing to which the rest of the world ends up being showcased along a disadvantageous line. (Reeves, 1993. p 25 to 44) With the concept of "de facto hegemony", the Tunisian Information Minister Mustapha Masmoudi based demands on the claims that West was ignorant of the aspirations and sentiments that shaped the events and trends in the developing world which led to transmission of information regarding any and every events in a way where emphasis was on the West. This resulted in the McBride Commission which laid down that each nation must have a platform to express itself in terms of relevant transmission of its interests, values and events, so as to command equal respect from all quarters. Therefore, it acknowledged the fact that the West and its monopoly over communication, paid attention only to the political instability and economic backwardness of the Third World. (Reeves, 1993. p 56 to 70) In response, Margaret Thatcher and Ronal Reagan led an attack on the possible reforms for international information flow models with the claim that the third world was simply a throw back on the Soviet syndrome. The fall of the Soviet Union led to a death of the debate. Finally in 1996, information ministers of several non-aligned nations were seen