The NWICO Controversy

1. THE NWICO
CONTROVERSY
Dr
Khadijat
Adedeji-Olona
International
Communication
14th February,2024

2. Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lecture, you should be able to:
1. Define the concept of NWICO
2. Explain the significance of NWICO
3. Understand the factors leading to the NWICO debate
4. Identify the big five international news agencies and their place in
the NWICO controversy
5. Explain the roles of the UN and UNESCO in the NWICO Controversy
6. Discuss the intervention of the MacBride Commission
7. Highlight key recommendations from the MacBride report
8. Describe the state of international media and communication after
NWICO.

3. Table of
Contents!
Overview
What is NWICO?
The NWICO Debate
The MacBride Committee
Key Recommendations of the
Report
International Media and
Communication Post-NWICO
Assignment
1. List five other members of
the MacBride Commission apart
from Sean MacBride.
2. Describe the relevance of
NWICO to any of:
(i) Media Imperialism
(ii) Digital Divide
(iii)Cultural Hegemony
Features
This topic presents a
comprehensive overview of
NWICO, from its inception to
date, covering key aspects,
including its definition,
historical context, major
players, and post-NWICO media
landscapes.

4. 01
NWICO
- What is NWICO?
- What does NWICO
represent?

5. NWICO is an
acronym for NEW
World Information
and Communication
Order
NWICO

6. NWICO represents the collective
voices of developing nations
advocating a more equitable
global exchange of information.
This movement seeks a shift from
the dominant one-way
dissemination of information,
often characterised by bias and
limitations by developed
nations, towards a freer,
balanced two-way flow of
communication worldwide.
Significance
of NWICO

7. 02
THE NWICO DEBATE
- Factors leading to it
- Key players
- Venues of the Meetings
- The Agitations
- The Resolve

8. The NWICO debate started around
the 1970s with the global flow
of news and information as the
subject of concern.
The United Nations (UN) and the
United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) served as
the primary platforms for
deliberating on and addressing
the issues of concern.
The NWICO
Debate

9. The debate gained momentum with
the meetings of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) held in Algiers
in 1973, Tunis in 1976, and New
Delhi, also in 1976 canvassing
for a new economic order.
The Non-Aligned Movement is a
forum of 120 countries that are
not formally aligned with any
major powerful country in the
Western world.
The Movement was formed to
advance the cause of developing
nations.
The NWICO
Debate (Cont.)

10. 1.With the ownership and control of the
four major international news agencies
- namely, the Associated Press (AP),
Agence France-Presse (AFP), Reuters,
and the United Press International
(UPI), the Western World dominated the
global information flow, controlling
95 percent of information flow
globally.
2.Information predominantly flowed from
developed to developing countries,
with little flowing the other way.
Developed nations received
considerable attention in the news,
whereas developing countries received
less coverage.
Factors/Concerns
Leading to the Debate

11. 3. Important news items from developing
countries are often ignored, distorted or
rejected by international media houses.
4. The allocation of the radio spectrum
is unfair. A significant portion
(approximately 90%) of radio frequencies
globally was controlled by a few
developed nations and mainly used for
military purposes.
5. Developing countries had minimal
influence on decisions regarding
satellite positions in space. There were
concerns that by the time the developing
countries have the capability for
satellite transmissions, available space
would be filled-up already.
Factors/Concerns Leading to
the Debate (Cont.)

12. 03
THE MACBRIDE COMMISSION
- The Set-Up
- The Composition
- The Report
- Recommendations

13.  In 1979, the UNESCO set up a
commission to address the
concerns of imbalance in the flow
of information globally.
 The commission was headed by an
Irish representative, Sean
MacBride.
 There were representatives from
other countries of the world,
including Nigeria. (See “Many
Voices, One World” for a list of
other members).
The MacBride
Commission
Mr Sean MacBride

14. ● In 1980, the MacBride
commission published a report
tagged “Many Voices, One Word”.
● The report:
- reflects on the state of
communication globally; and;
- provides insights into the
possibility of creating a new
information order.
The MacBride Report
The Report

15. The development of third-world countries
so that they become truly independent and
self-reliant and develop their cultural
identities.
Better international news gathering and
better conditions for journalists.
Democratization of communication (access
and participation, and the right to
communicate)
Furtherance of international cooperation.
The MacBride Report:
Key Recommendations
The MacBride Report

16. Media Imperialism: It is a process whereby
the ownership, structure, distribution or
content of the media in any one country are
singly or together subject to substantial
pressure from the media interests of any
other country or countries without
proportionate reciprocation of influence by
the country – Boyd Barett
Digital Divide: It is the gap between people
who do and do not have access to forms of
information and communication technology.
Cultural Hegemony: it is the dominance of a
culturally diverse society by the ruling
class who shape the culture of that society—
the beliefs and explanations, perceptions,
values, and mores—so that the worldview of
the ruling class becomes the accepted
cultural norm.
Information and Communication
Flow Post-NWICO
The MacBride Report

17. Recap Learning Outcomes
By the end of this lecture, you should be able to:
1. Define the concept of NWICO
2. Explain the significance of NWICO
3. Understand the factors leading to the NWICO debate
4. Identify the big five international news agencies and their place in
the NWICO controversy
5. Explain the roles of the UN and UNESCO in the NWICO Controversy
6. Discuss the intervention of the MacBride Commission
7. Highlight key recommendations from the MacBride report
8. Describe the state of international media and communication after
NWICO.

18. Table of
Contents!
Overview
What is NWICO?
The NWICO Debate
The MacBride Committee
Key Recommendations of the
Report
International Media and
Communication Post-NWICO
Assignment
1. List five other members of
the MacBride Commission apart
from Sean MacBride.
2. Describe the relevance of
NWICO to any of:
(i) Media Imperialism
(ii) Digital Divide
(iii)Cultural Hegemony
Features
This topic presented a
comprehensive overview of
NWICO, from its inception to
date, covering key aspects,
including its definition,
historical context, major
players, and post-NWICO media
landscapes.

19. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!