Page 91 - Comparing Political Communication Theories, Cases, and Challenge

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Comparing Mass Communication Systems

by communication or the universality of human rights assume the
emphasis of concordant research questions.
Difference: Methodologically the focus is on the identification of

differences. For instance, ideas of a “clash of Civilizations” (Samuel
Huntington) point in this direction when they argue that irrec-
oncilable differences exist between the cultures of the world that
are supposed to have emerged over long periods of time and cause
cultures (to want) to separate from each other.

These two procedures are obviously linked to the research methods de-
scribed previously (originally Mill’s) that focus on the similarity (com-
mon features) or differences. When a study focuses on one of these two
approaches, it should be insured that the other perspective is not left out
as this would endanger the study’s scientific character.
Scientific approaches are always of a procedural nature; step by step
one approaches one’s own questions so that one can finally present an-
swers. Regarding complex hypotheses, the simple contrast of two ele-
mentsisofteninsufficientasscientificfindingsonlycometolightthrough
aseries of dynamic processes. In addition, there is the intention behind
the scientific procedure: Is it simply a question of understanding and
explaining the context? Or is it about a practical matter, for instance, to
find out how ideas are passed on or to learn from global experiences?
This leads us in the direction of further comparative approaches. Some
typical approaches will be mentioned at this point:

Diffusion:Newideas(businessconcepts,etc.)originateinonecoun-

try but, due to their success, penetrate other regions of the world;
they disseminate. For example, the principle of commercial broad-
casting originated in the United States and from there spread to
nearly all regions of the world. In Europe, Great Britain proved to
be the region with the strongest links to the United States (Tunstall
1999). The BBC developed the principle of public service that was
later introduced throughout Europe and the Commonwealth. Dif-
fusion describes processes of the voluntary adoption of ideas and
innovations.
Dependency: The world does not just consist of horizontal com-

munication with the chance to learn from each other, it also con-
tains massive vertical dependencies. Former colonies were forced
to take over elements of their respective mother country’s me-
dia systems, which they could only develop further after indepen-
dence. In Nigeria, the British left behind the Nigerian Broadcasting

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