International Media

 

    International media is anything that refers to news outlets that operate across national borders and covers news from different countries and regions around the world. This can include anything from newspapers, social media, websites, and magazines that would reach people all around the world. Some of the most well-known media companies around the world are CNN, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. International media is not just good for sharing important information worldwide but is also a great way to express different countries' beliefs and cultural standings. 

    Although there are so much convenient features through international media, you also have to understand that not all country is the same in the manner of censorship rules that they are required to follow. The government controls what information can go in and be released outside of their country. Some countries might have heavier censorship of what they allow their countries to see from the outside of their walls. North Korea has some of the most strict censorship laws in their countries and isn't allowed to have a lot of the same apps that we have here in America due to the fact that they do not want their people to know what is happening around them. Since Kim Jong Un has been in power he has implemented the use of radio signal blockers in order to keep people from sharing information. On the other hand, Iceland has been rated the highest amount of digital freedom. There has been no report of the government in Iceland asking for a request to take down information. They simply use a voluntary Bluetooth tracing system that tracks information for privacy purposes rather than using geolocation. Looking at the difference between the censorship in both of these countries, makes you sit back and wonder what North Korea has to hide but also makes Iceland look like a very trustworthy country. There is a controversy between different countries where some believe that if we share too much information with one another that we will combine and in a sense become too much alike and lose our uniqueness while others believe that it is a great way to express our beliefs and uniqueness in order to understand each other better.  

    I have always wondered what social media was like in other countries, especially through my teenage and college years. Meeting and having conversations with international students in college has made me realize that social media in other countries really isn't that different. I have noticed that Instagram is just as popular in several other countries like France, Ireland, and England. Facebook has always been one of the most popular social media sights globally, but in this generation, people like to say that "Facebook is for old people", but the proof is in the pudding with the app having 2.96 billion users worldwide. In a way, it shows us that in the grand scheme of things, we are not we just add our twist of culture and style.