Caitlin Barclay As a Communications major, I am always analyzing the uses and effects of different types of media on culture, and was particularly interested in researching the differences and similarities of mass media in Spain and the US.
The first question I wanted to answer was where Spain and the US are different regarding the types of media they most consume. Considering America’s reputation for media consumption, I assumed that Spain’s consumption would be a lot less. However, it seems that the amount of media available to the public is not much different, only the amount that is actively consumed by the citizens. For instance, Spain has nearly every social media and internet site available to Americans (except NETFLIX!), but only spends a fraction of the hours spent by Americans. Statistics show that the average American spends about 2.5 hours a day using their mobile device, in comparison with 1.7 hours by the average Spaniard. Another detail that may contribute to lesser consumption of electronic media is the amount of print media still available to Spain. A phrase often uttered in the communications field is “print is a dying art”, but the amount of newspaper and magazine stands in every city we visited reassured me that this is not a worry yet!
Another major difference between American and Spanish media is the imposition of censorship; an issue I was well aware of even before our trip. It seems that one of the main “culture shocks” Americans experience collectively when traveling to Spain is the everyday use of images in advertising that, in the United States, would be considered too risque and even pornographic. However taboo they may seem to visitors, these images do not seem to have any negative impact on society. Perhaps the fact that the exposed human body is displayed so often makes it less taboo and does not become an issue.
Before our excursion to the Iberian Peninsula, I was not aware of the amount of international media present in Spanish culture. In the United States, it is very seldom that media such as films, television, and music from other countries are featured in pop culture, especially not media in another language. Contrastingly, a majority of the media consumed by Spaniards is from America, and is either dubbed to Spanish or watched by English-speakers. It makes sense, as America is definitely a cultural hub when it comes to media production, but I would have guessed that many more actors and artists would be featured This was one of the biggest differences I observed between our cultures. I believe that paying more attention to international media would be extremely beneficial and help the average American become more aware of daily life in other cultures.
I expected many more contrasts between American and Spanish media before studying Spanish culture in person. What I found is that media spans across cultural differences and connects people no matter the languages. Spanish youth and pop culture seems to be very similar to American culture, with a few differences including more lax censorship laws. Spain has experienced a lot of change over the past century and it is very interesting to see this change represented in media as they create their own and welcome international influences.
Author: Allison Wellnitz Spanish Culture Course: Media and Communication
I decided to chose the topic of media and communication for my project. I made this choice because aside from my major in Music Theater, I am also majoring in Communication as well here at Carthage. I thought it would be interesting to learn about the usage of media and communication in another country then my own. While in Spain I wanted to observe both the similarities, and differences between the United States and Spain. I decided to focus on the main sources of media, including, television, newspapers, internet, phone, and the radio. I also wanted to focus on observing the communication skills between locals and tourists. Prior to our Spanish culture class, I was not too familiar with the media usage and communication skills pertaining to Spain specifically. I did not even know that there were other official languages used other than “traditional Spanish” (Castilian). In High School I actually had the opportunity to take a few years of Spanish. My freshmen and Sophomore year we focused on grammar, and vocabulary. When I was a junior in high school we focused more on the culture of Spain, however we did not focus on this topic of media and communication. Therefore, I was very excited to learn about this more through our class, and this project.
Television While I was in Spain, one night I had the opportunity to watch TV for about and hour or so. I was able to watch some of the news, and I even was able to view a popular telenovela. Majority of the television shows are in Castilian, however in each region it is possible to find programs in the languages specific to the region (Basque, Galician, Catalan). Prior to the 1980’s there were only two television stations which were owned by the state, TVE-1 and TVE-2. Today there are six popular stations; TVE-1, TVE-2, Antena 3, La Cuatro, Telecinco, and La Sexta. These stations include programs such as soap operas, documentaries, game shows, sports and commercial programing, and even international imports from Britain and America. Each region of Spain has their own set of stations as well including TV3 in Catalonia and ETB channels in the Basque Country. Spaniards, on average, watch about 3 and a half hours of television daily only an hour less than American’s consume daily. The relationship between Spain and Television began under Franco. Television, and all sources of media, were used as a voice for the regime, and many programs were censored.
Radio While I was in Spain, I unfortunately did not have the best opportunities to listen to the radio. However, while I was shopping at a store, I was able to hear music playing, and one night I had the chance to go out to the club to get a feel of the music they play on the radio too. I was surprised about the amount of American “top 40” music I heard! One day I heard Justin Bieber in a few different stores! Its crazy to think about how much our culture plays a role on others. According to our text, 16-19 million people are listening to Spanish radio daily, 3 million of those being between the hours of midnight and 3am. It is a source not only for music, but peoples daily news. There are two key organizations, Cadena SER and Radio National de España (RNE). Both are a mix of sports, music, soap operas, news, and talk shows.
Internet Compared to other European Nations, Spaniards are lagging with their internet usage. While I was in Spain, I observed that Wifi connection was not as good in comparison to what we are use to in the States. Perfect and fast connection is definitely a blessing that we have at home. In the states, I always observe that people are constantly on their phones, while in Spain I noticed that people are interested in personal interactions, and rarely did I see people browsing on their phones in public. Only about 40 % of Spanish families are online. Spaniards are also hesitant to shop online as well. According to a study in the UK 74% of people shop online, while in Spain only 20% of people would. While in spain I also noticed the numerous amount of pay phones on the streets, however, I didn't see too many people using them.
Newspapers Under Franco’s reign there was censorship among newspapers as well. After his death in 1975, the press was able to gain freedom. El Pais, Spain’s most known and read newspaper, lead as an influential source during the transition between dicatorship and democracy. Since then many other daily papers have became popular including El Mundo, El Razon, La Vangaurdia, and ABC. In all of the regions papers are published in Castilian, however it is most definitely possible to find newspapers published in the regions tounge. As I was walking through the streets in Spain, it was very easy to find Tabloids, and Newspaper stands with many different choice, especially in downtown Madrid or on Las Ramblas in Barcelona. When we stayed in Tolosa, outside of San Sabastian, we even found a newspaper, printed in Basque, which has an article published informing locals about our choir concert.
Communication with Tourists Early on in my trip I noted the fact that Spain is a country that is use to tourists, and non native “spanish” speaking people. This doesn’t really surprise me though because who wouldn’t want to visit a country that is so diverse in food, geography, religion, and culture. Just about everywhere we went, whether it was a restaurant, a monument, cathedral, signs, menus, and brochures, were also in English, especially in Barcelona and Madrid. In some areas I noticed things were written in other languages as well. In Barcelona, I especially noticed that almost everything was written out first in Catalan, then Spanish, and following that, English. At home in America we only really have things written out in English, and Spanish. Aside from this, people also are very adaptive to helping you as well. Everywhere we visited there would be at least one person who was able to speak in English well. I feel like it is in their nature to be kind, and help outsiders as much as possible. I was also fortunate to take part in the musical theater master class. It was interesting to see how universal music really is, and how I was able to sing songs in English, that were still very well known in Spain. Prior to our trip I was extremely nervous about not knowing Spanish as much as I want to, and was worried about language barriers. By the time it was our second day there, I was no longer scared and was put at ease. My favorite part about the communication between ourselves, and the locals was when we sang in their regions native languages. Seeing the joy and pride in their eyes, was probably my favorite part of the entire trip.
Conclusion All in All, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Spain. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. It went by too fast, but I am thankful for the opportunities we had in such a short amount of time. It was also my first experience leaving the United States. Sometimes people can be so well adjusted to what they are use to, and I loved being able to try different things, and leave my comfort zone. I learned a lot about myself and found a new love of discovery in Spain. I can not wait to go back to this beautiful country one, and fall in love more than I already am. It is a country of beauty, tradition, culture, diversity, hope, strength, love, and most of all pride.
I love that even though people come from different places, have experienced different things and sometimes speak completely different languages, media has the power to communicate the same feelings and sense of togetherness. It gives a person hope.