Communication and National Identity

Chongchit S. Tiam-Tong

The following article discusses the need to explore various communication methods and technologies which can be used to re-enforcing the process of community participation in an attempt to sustain local cultural identity. The author outlines why communicators should be aware of how local communities are changing and how to apply different communication tools and programmes in different situations. She concludes that it is essential for communication strategies and methods to be identified which are appropriate to varying local situations.

Pradip N. Thomas

The term 'national identity' primarily refers to ideas that exist in thought-form, abstractions. It consists of a body of ideas that form the basis of shared loyalties to the nation-state. The ways in which this allegiance is constructed, made concrete, communicated and maintained over time, are the means and ends of national identity. In other words, national identity is often taken to mean a shared structure of feeling, a largely imagined consciousness that is reinforced both through life's daily routines as well as through ritualised, symbol-laden, celebrations of nationhood. Nevertheless, as the following article argues, the negotiation of national identity is a continuous and entirely voluntary process which demands inclusivity and the fair representation of peoples and cultures.

Chea Sotheacheath

In journalism, reporting the news should be done objectively, and issues treated as either black or white. News should not affect or be affected by issues of national identity. The author of the following short article sets these beliefs in the context of Cambodia.

Nosa Owens-Ibie

How is the historical region of Edoland in modern Nigeria, part of the old Benin Kingdom, adapting to the late 20th century? Its cultural heritage, as the following article reveals, is being threatened by the extinction of indigenous attributes such as language, music, dress and dance. The challenge comes from a hybrid based on Western culture as the preferred alternative. The dilemma of Edo culture is the dilemma of African culture generally, which is being progressively snuffed out by mixture of local rejection, ambivalence towards the custodians of traditional culture and external influences.

Huang

Examining the recent developments and trends in new media technologies in China, the following article analyses their impact on the Chinese government's policy towards communication. It focuses on the current development of the Internet and other forms of computer-mediated communication; the penetration of foreign/overseas broadcasting and satellite TV; challenges posed by the new media technologies to government information control; and China's policies and regulations.

Octavio Getino

The problems facing cinema in Latin America are highlighted in the following article, including challenges from other parts of the cultural industry such as television and video. The author concludes that financial self-sufficiency through more organised national and regional markets one key to freedom of expression and artistic integrity.

Enrique Bustamante

The case of Spain and Europe

Telecommunications, social communication and the advanced services born of both, make up a vital instrument for the development of the different regions in Europe, especially the least favoured. But the basic condition is the protagonism of local and regional administrations in a global policy for the information and communication sector. The experience of the regions within Europe and Spain in particular reveal the new possibilities but also the risks inherent in this challenge.

Thanet Aphornsuvan

Thailand has only recently begun to emerge from the shadows of 19th century colonial rule, 20th century US economic and military intervention, and successive Thai military coups d'état. Political stability is returning but many obstacles remain, not least profound economic and social problems. In the midst of this, as the following article shows, Thai national identity is attempting to reassert itself.