Media freedom down with few conglomerates and media magnates are trying to take over the entire media space., say Asian editors

         While welcoming the modernization that has come as a result of globalization and competition, editors from Asian countries are apprehensive about the freedoms they enjoy in an era where a few conglomerates and media magnates are trying to take over the entire media space.

      These editors were taking part in the two-day 8th Asian-European Editors’ Forum meet organized by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in cooperation with The Statesman on ‘Globalistion: Up– and Downsides for Asia’. The meet was attended by over thirty editors and senior academicians from several European and Asian countries including India.

       In a presentation on ‘Globalization and its impact for Asian Media’, Cyril Pereira who is Principal of the Telesis Consulting Ltd. in Hong Kong said  that the result of globalization had led to the entry of 20 to25 global giants who appeared to be controlling the entire media in the region. Convergence had also made cross-media acquisitions simpler. This had also led to a reduction in local and regional content and the interests appeared to be only economic and not social.

         Cyril further said that the  public service broadcasters had to play a greater role in keeping local and regional interests alive. ‘There is a role for countries to invest in public media systems (public Broadcasters) and protect and do what the private sector which is profit-driven will not do’. There was need for media policies that were not purely market-driven

        Statesman Editor and Managing Director Ravindra Kumar did not agree with the hypotheses that there had been improvement in standards, noting that there was greater tabloidization. He said the Asian News Network had been formed some years earlier to chek this trend.

       Noting that media was the soul of any nation, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Resident Representative Jorg Wolff said there was need to evolve common values for Asia which was on the upside even as it faced some downsides as well.