By Jaime Ortega.
Last February, North Korea, released a series of fake provocative videos that show missile attacks on the U.S. White House, and 150.000 U.S. soldiers brought captive by the North Korean Army.
Authoritarian regimes such as N.K. propose an interesting media study, when we analyze the propaganda techniques used, aimed strategically to brainwash the public sphere.
Its not just a method used in N.K., but N.K. presents one of the most extreme case studies of media manipulation currently shown in our modern day in age. Iran, Pakistan, Sudan and other countries with no democratic backbone also use the media as the main choice of preference to reaffirm their theo-authoritarian regimes.
THE CLUSTER PROBLEMS:
North Korea, thrives on Chinese imports. Unlike China, a highly industrial manufacturer provider to the world for wholesale services, N.K. does not provide “services” outside its borders.
In recent years, many North Koreans have been allowed to migrate to China for better opportunities. China provides better education programs for many young North Koreans, than the standard poorly funded, educational programs granted by the communist party.
N.K’s Gross Domestic Product is relatively small compared to South Korea. S.K. is ranked number 15th in a world scale of the elite economic countries, while N.K. has not fully recovered from the Cold War years.
Its interesting to notice, that when you observe N.K. night-sky on Google Earth, one quickly realises the lack of energy produced by N.K. as opposed to S.K..
ACCESSORIES, BIAS AND COMMUNICATION ISSUES:
The Korean Central News Agency, is the official news agency of N.K. and the main wired service provider for all news networks inside the country.
The Korean Central Broadcasting Station and the Pyongyang Broadcasting Station are the top stations in N.K. and are heavily influenced by the KCNA wired services.
AM radio stations, also run the KCBS and the North Korean PBS, providing access to biased information only and without alternative points of view to the public sphere.
The problem is that for every North Korean neighborhood, access to a television set is limited. And energy is consider a commodity rather than a basic asset.
South Korean trademark companies like Samsung, LG, or Kyrocera are not allowed to sell their products passed the N.K. border. Instead, N.K. supplies itself with Chinese technology, such as TCL, a mainstream multi-service provider of media products for cell-phones, computers and televisions.
South Korean technology ranks high alongside Swish and Japanese products. China does not rank yet, as a high as the countries above, which leaves N.K., with a poor selection of less sofisticated products.
Full Internet access is restricted for most of the population in N.K., as only 10% of its population enjoy full access. That 10%, consist of outside-contractors, government agencies and a few rich influential North Koreans.
China’s influence in N.K. communication is visible on web browsers like Google, where
search restrictions take place.
ONE BIG STORM:
The key problem with N.K. resides in what, I call, the perfect ‘communication storm.’
The ‘communication storm’ is a perfect mixture of four basic components:
A) lack of outside influence and integration from other foreign countries in N.K.
B) Complete isolation from the outside world, except for countries that share same ideologies.
C) Biased news stories constantly producing one angled bias, that do not have the ability to be compared with others.
D) Extreme poverty.
Once such storm occurs in the world of communications, its almost impossible for any country to move forward and change its behavior without a radical response.
N.K. fabricated false video attacks on U.S. soil, show a country in desperate need of attention, trying to desperately obtain support from other similar regimes worldwide.
Other totalitarian regimes are also controlled by similar predictable media manipulation techniques used in N.K., but far less noticeable, than the ones integrated in westernized cultures.
