Theory essay in response to Sabine Braun’s Multimedia communication technologies and their impact on interpreting

Brief Background

            Due to fast development of products with high technological value, mankind is now permitted to have real time interaction without requiring physical or actual co-existence. Technology slowly disconnected people while allowing them to talk about personal affairs, business and schooling in the virtual world.

On interpretation

            The article of Sabine Braun focused on the impact of Multimedia communication technologies on interpreting with the consideration to communication barriers such as differences in culture, age, comprehension capability and etc. Braun forgot to mention anything about gatekeeping which lies in the mediums of communication (TV, Internet, Radio, Phone, and Newspaper) which are dominantly controlled by the ruling class/ usual source of information. The interpreter will always be biased to whom he/she is interpreting for.

What should be the arguments?

1.      Technological development especially in the field of communication is slowly detaching people from real life, emotional and physical connection from each other. These could be noticed on how people are declaring relationship only on virtual world such as Facebook, twitter and etc.

Also, in 1950s, candidates for a certain position in government have no choice but to see his constituents face to face to discuss his/her platforms, giving the voters a chance to scrutinize the personality of the candidate. Today, people are just bombarded with advertisements courtesy of biggest media companies in the country.

2.      The advantage of multimedia communication technology is that the people are given the opportunity to question the anti-people policies imposed by the government. Today, it is visible that the Internet already became a mechanism for political and economic discussions.

3.      Interpreter also serves as a gatekeeping machinery. The state with its ideological apparatuses such as the church and media has the ability to manage or limit information to be disseminated to people, hoping to make them believe in the illusion of change and development.

4.      Braun is right on the issue of communication barriers, but we have to focus on gatekeeping concern.  

We have to understand that the technological developments particularly on Multimedia communication are intended to maximize the cyber world/internet, Television, Radio and other mediums as tools for propaganda dissemination

What is to be done?

            Maximize the social media, new technologies to expose and oppose the propaganda of the state while giving the alternative/ solution to societal problems. Braun’s researches are helpful only during the socialist construction in the Philippines, it could be used to propagate the new, and better society for the people.

Photography, History and the Propaganda Movement

“The History of the Filipino people is the history of how peasants, workers and broad masses struggle against the oppression of the ruling class”

American occupancy and the Propaganda War

With mankind’s never ending search for knowledge, it is inevitable to have new technological discoveries that will make it easier to live in this planet…  Supposedly. 

At the latter part of industrial revolution, mankind was able to develop machines not just for faster production, but for further development of advertising industry, hoping to convert surplus products into profit.  Hence, the first ever camera is invented and developed not just to capture moments but to gain higher income revenue.

On the other side, photography/ camera is also maximized as a tool in propaganda war between the ruling elite and broad masses, two opposing sides with irreconcilable interests.  During the American colonization in the Philippines, US government managed to circulate pictures of how the Americans are helping Filipinos in governance and Economy. On the other hand, pictures of massacred Muslims and other native Filipinos are distributed with the help of the underground press resisting against imperialist economic, political and cultural plunder in the country.

US government granted the so called Philippine independence knowing that they already have the control in major ideological, political and economic institutions in the country. A puppet republic was established giving the local bureaucrats the highest standard of living while leaving the majority of the population as window shoppers.

Under the Puppet Republic

Pictures of thousands of expensive jewelries and pairs of shoes, allegedly owed by former Imelda Marcos created public opinion against the conjugal dictators. But the Marcoses are wise, they propagated that the Philippines is drastically improving its economy with the establishment of extravagant structures, giving them another source of corruption and putting the country on the top of the list of borrowers from international financial institutions.

Marcos loyalists are still disseminating pictures of roads and different buildings erected under the Marcos regime trying to convince Filipinos that the country is far better before. In essence, worsening crisis of this colonial and feudal system is rooted to problems that exist even before the Marcos dictatorship, supported by the local bureaucrats all for the sake of their own economic interests.

Pictures could speak based on the angle and frame directed by photographer, a tangible memory of what actually happened.  Before the existence of internet, yes it could communicate history, but only if the publishers will permit following the rules directed by their investors, the ruling class or economic tycoons.

Thanks to social media the people can now manage to counter-attack the anti-people policies of the government ruled by the economic giants. In 2013, photos of Jeane Napoles, daughter of Janet Napoles (alleged mastermind of the infamous pork barrel scam) having lavish lifestyle in US circulated in social media making the people more eager to campaign against the pork barrel system.

In search of the possible connections of Napoles to legislative branch of our government, photos of her together with top ranking officials in our country became viral in Facebook (popular social networking site). Jeane and Janet’s photographs together with Senate President Franklin Drilon and Pres. Aquino immediately catch public attention.

Leveling up the propaganda war in cyberspace, photography is no longer a tool to communicate history. Memes became popular as the new generation becomes lesser interested in reading books and long essays as a result of technology-dependent educational system.

The ruling elite instantly recognize the power of social media as it reveals the rotting system of governance and economy. Various mechanisms are created to limit the audience of progressive people in propagating memes and any other photos exposing politically related issues in the archipelago.

Today, only sponsored posts/statuses on Facebook could reach millions of viewers, these sponsor-ships have a corresponding economic value that only the ruling elite could afford. Interest pages that only entertain people are just some of the few entities that could surpass the policy.

What is to be done?

Due to anarchy in production of materials with high technological value such as smartphones and camera, it is now easier to capture not just memories, but the social realities that could emancipate people from ignorance.

The broad Filipino people, particularly the progressive middle-class and intellectuals who have the capacity to maximize these inventions should expose and oppose the anti-people policies imposed by the state.

It is those who have the courage to exposed relevant issues that write history. 

Philippine Radio, Politics, Economy and Culture

It is very usual to talk about the history and present issues  facing the media sector or Radio in particular. But enthusiasts forgets the most important matter, its impacts in economy, culture and politics.

Radio and the Economic Tycoons

You cannot simply deny that media companies are just controlled by few economic elites of the society. ABS-CBN and GMA, such as the two major broadcasting companies controlling the media industry in our country.

To consider the ruling élite and the broad Filipino people have an irreconcilable interest, it is very alarming that the upper class has the over all control of the major ideological apparatuses like radio, causing the lower class to have minimal chances of being heard. Cases such as the strike of the contractual ABS CBN workers that they wouldn't televised if not because of the competition between GMA,ABS CBN and TV 5 which is still economically motivated.

Political impact of the Mainstream media
Mainstream media is one of the major ideological 'state' apparatuses. We have to be reminded that politicians and the owners of the biggest media networks in this country came from the same social class, having the same economic interest.

Through the help of the mainstream media,it is easier for the upper class to control the government by portraying as good Samaritans who are willing to uplift our lives from poverty. This scenario is very prominent during election period. The people are expecting a feast of democracy while the media, which is already paid by politicians, are bombarding them with the illusion of change in hands of the few.

Glimpse to the cultural side
Looking on the other side of the propaganda, it is not the people who dictate the media on what to show, it is the media who dictates the people what to think.

The media and the upper class has all the machinery to dictate what brand of shampoo are going to use, which politician are going to vote or even the best brand of condom is applicable depending upon the size of your genitalia.

The age of globalization and high-technology gave the upper class the extraordinary power to consolidate their political and economic influence while making the people believe that everything is normal and there's nothing to be angry about.

An evidence of cultural manipulation is the propaganda of having a lighter skin is equal to being beautiful,making the Philippines as one of the hottest market of whitening products, which is also advertised by broadcasting companies, the obvious relation between media, economy and culture.

What is to be done?

One way to promote Nationalist, Scientific and Mass-Oriented culture is through the establishment of an alternative media that will truly serve the interest of the people. A media that is free from corporate greed and political dictatorship.

The dominance of the alternative media is only possible if we will change the sociopolitical structure of this country.

It is essential to establish a nationalist, scientific and mass oriented media for the national industrialization and preservation of the Filipino culture. There is no doubt that the wide-range of this technology can make or break a nation, and it is up to us, on how to maximize it for our betterment.