RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

TOWARDS A POLVCENTRIC SVSTEM OF PLURALISTIC COMMUNICATION Specialization , of course, represents the final stage of the evolution of mass media along the Elite-Popular-Speclalized Curve (Merrill, Lowenstein, 1979), promoted by the audience J s growing sophistication and desire for diversified content to match differences in life-style, bacKground , education , occupation , age , sex, etc. This tendency might be said to correspond to what Naisbitt (1984) calls the megatrend towards "Multiple Options" . Decentralization is partly a form of specialization anđ partiy a response to the emergence of a spirit of regionalism anđ "local thinking” (Hartikainen , 1981) as a reaction to the homogenization and atomization of the mass society brought upon by , among other things , the monocentric system of uniformistic communication . The megatrends towards High Touch and Decentralization are in line with this tendency . As for democratization , this arose out of the desire of groups , movements and classes disenfranchised from the communicative point of view by the monocentric system to break through to the ranks of active senders . They sought to take over or reform and ”open up" (Branscomb, Savage, 1978; 'Broadcasting Policy...', 1980) existing media institutions . Failing that , as in most cases they did, slnce broadcasting monopoly was tenaciously defended by governments , many of these groups and movements set up their own "alternative" , "free" , "coramunity" media (Van Hauteghem , 1976; Nlgg , Wade , 1980; Beaud , 1980; Lewis, 1984 a, 1984b; Ouortrup , n.d.), usually as small-scale media outlets , operating on the fringes of the "big media." These efforts to democratize the međia nmght be said to correspond to the megatrends towards "Self-help", "Participatory Democracy" and ”Networking ." Full democratlzation of mass communication wouid naturally reguire full Implementation of the democratic-participant media theory (Mc Quail, 1987 ) ensuring full representative socio-political-cultural diversity (Jacklin , 1978; cf . also McGuail , van Cuilenburg , 1983). One result brought about by these changes in radio was that to a large extent it began "to facilitate cultural soliđanty within specific subgroups , while teievision (served ) as a major communication link between groups , collectmg (them) for ехрозиге to the larger , more dommant popular culture" (Lewis, 1981: 809 ) . If taken to their local conclusion, the three tenđencies woulđ have resulted in creatmg what might be calleđ an ореп , polycentric system of participatory , pluralistic electromc commumcation .