ABSTRACT
It is common for media globalization to be characterized as the erosion of national cultural sovereignty under the onslaught of the world's largest media conglomerates. Such portrayals evoke the specter of a hydra-headed Hollywood juggernaut spreading its tentacles into every corner of the globe. This macro level analysis of media imperialism directs attention to a worldwide system of domination that favors capitalist interests, particularly those based in the United States (Guback 1969; Schiller 1969). Critics point to the ubiquity of media products such as Batman, CSI, and Lady Gaga, while also portraying the world's masses as susceptible, even gullible, participants in a transnational circuit of culture that feeds corporate conglomerates and impoverishes local modes of expression and public life (Miller et al. 2008). Many scholars and government policy makers argue that national governments are the best hope for stemming the tide of media imports, pointing to policies that aim to promote indigenous values and responsible citizenship by employing various strategies, ranging from local tax subsidies to public service media and from import quotas to outright censorship.
