By William Markiewicz
All powerful technology makes us use gadgets of communication almost automatically. There are basically three ways of communication: global, national, and local.
Global communication through the computer is vast, like the ether in which it flows, and, like ether, difficult to control. Information is often reduced to propaganda and entertainment. There is no “good” or “bad” internet, only a Pandrora’s Box, graciously provided.
Local media, from internet to flyers, allows the locals to be aware and efficient in defending their interests. The locals don’t usually let themselves be fooled by demagogues. Of course mini–societies may have their dominant groups, even tyrants, but they cannot remain hidden, and can be judged and influenced in favour of freedom.
My son works in communications and has pointed out the problems facing national media. If the internet is the global box-for-all and the local media are what the name indicates, the national media are in the middle and are subject to heavy competition from the others, which are much cheaper and as efficient. National media will always be the main forum for national topics but does that guarantee survival for most of them? More specific tasks have to be added to give the national media more power, something for which the global media may be too big and the local too small. May I suggest a specific topic: they could be a powerful link among – neighbours.
Neighbours are rather neglected as a specific topic in the mainstream media. As a matter of fact, the universal tendency among neighbours is to remain separate rather than to learn about each other; an invisible barrier separates shoulder-to-shoulder neighbours who are different in class, race, culture… Those on the other side of the border are of course even more ignored. National media can change the situation by becoming a bridge among neighbours if they find an original and enhancing way to present their topic.
An example of an interesting trip toward immediate and still alien neighbours: A Sao Paulo TV producer went to a “favelas” district of misery, crime, drugs and prostitution. He successfully transmitted to “chic” quarters the haunting art and poetry of the “forbidden land” previously unknown to them.
An example of connecting neighbours, distant but still neighbours if we consider Europe an entity: National media can play the connecting role by sharing cultural treasures among neighbours. Watching TV in a Greek restaurant, I saw an old Greek movie. It was a naturally dignified and delicate fresco of a time and world which has probably disappeared. The men were mostly in skirts, perhaps at the first sight not so elegant as the kilt but worn with natural grace and dignity by young and old. The main topic was the conflict between father and the daughter who wanted to marry a man other than the one he chose for her, with many interwoven situations held together by the personage of an old vagrant on his donkey, the lowest on the social scale, still the soul of the small archaic society. The stony landscape of sober poetry formed an ideal background for the story. Still it was a low budget production, black and white, certainly not attractive for those too familiar with the genre, especially for the young (I had to struggle to keep the owner from changing the channel). But for foreigners it surely is an Alladin’s Lamp of delices and surprises.
Another trip toward unknown neighboring particularities: Talking about linguistics with a friend, I described how in Polish you change the word just by changing the prefix. “Bring to” = “Przy – prowadz,” “Accompany” = “Od- prowadz,” “Take there” = Za – prowadz,” “Guide” = Prowadz”… As an example I quoted an old Polish rural song: “On the mountains, in the valleys – girl, accompany me on my way home – accompany me through the forest – then I you once more – and so we’ll separate.” My interlocutor forgot about linguistics and was thrilled: “But this is wonderful… this chaste love so soberly expressed, so fine, and so deep… ! And we know nothing about this culture!” On other occasions I’ve quoted some other cultural particularities, of paradox, of humor, with similar reaction: “We knew nothing about it!” Precisely the national media could fill this gap of ignorance to everybody’s great delight. There are many national cultural treasures that haven’t reached the fame of flamenco or tango and still deserve to come out of their anonymity to create a link of solidarity. For this aim the national media could join to create a common bank of their heritages and organize the interchange. The creative opportunities may be uncountable.
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William Markiewicz