The Role Of Mass Media In Democracy – The impact of mass media on the quality of democracy within a state remains a largely neglected area of research.
Media organizations are generally assumed to play an important role in democracies, but how effective are they in performing this function in individual states? Lisa Müller outlines the results of an analysis of 47 countries, based on a framework that assesses two distinct aspects of media performance: the extent to which they play a “watchdog” role through the provision of information, and the extent to which they function as representative forums. for citizens’ opinions. He finds that no country in the analysis scored very high on both dimensions, but the variation across states is consistent with variation in the quality of democracy.
The Role Of Mass Media In Democracy
Modern societies cannot be imagined without mass communication. Television, newspapers, radio and the Internet are the main sources of information for citizens around the world. But what does this mean for the functioning of political systems and processes? Few would doubt that mass media in authoritarian systems – which are typically strictly controlled by the state – serve to maintain the existing power structure. One only has to think of the all-pervasive state propaganda spread by the North Korean media to keep the country’s citizens in order. It is also widely agreed that mass media contribute to democratization processes, as can be seen, for example, in Eastern Europe during and after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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On the other hand, there is a lot of debate about whether free mass media serve or harm democracy once it is established. On the one hand, proponents of what is often called the “media malaise” theory claim that since mass media in established democracies mostly operate according to market principles, they ignore their democratic duties. This is said to have serious consequences for democracy, causing apathy, cynicism and ignorance among citizens about politics.
On the other hand, proponents of the so-called “mobilization” perspective (who are in the minority) believe that theories of media malaise place too high expectations on both media and citizens. In what they consider a more realistic assessment, mobilization theorists conclude that media sources provide citizens with enough information to recognize when their interests are at risk, and that media consumption actually increases civic engagement.
My book Comparing Mass Media in Established Democracies argues that none of the positions in the debate are supported by solid empirical evidence. Most notably, there is a lack of research on democratic media performance and its effects on democratic outcomes across multiple countries, as well as through a comprehensive theoretical framework and systematic multivariate analysis.
A large part of my research therefore deals with the question of how democratic media performance can be evaluated from a comparative perspective. To this end, they develop a theoretical model of media performance that they find empirically valid. It defines two normative functions that the mass media must fulfill in a democracy. First, the mass media must deliver politically relevant information to as many citizens as possible, thereby acting as a public watchdog (what I call its “vertical function”). Second, the mass media must provide a public forum that reflects the diversity of society (what I call its “horizontal function”).
Solution: Lesson 23
Based on this two-dimensional concept, I identify indicators for measuring media performance at two different levels of analysis: the structural or media system level, and the content or media coverage level. While the structural analysis includes media market statistics for 47 countries, including most of Europe, between 1990 and 2008, the content level focuses on content analysis data from 50 newspapers in ten countries during 2008.
A comparison of democratic media performance shows significant differences between the 10-47 countries examined, and different patterns can be identified. Although some countries can be attributed to a more general degree of media performance than others, no country scores particularly high on both vertical and horizontal functions. Therefore, simultaneous optimization of both media functions seems to be possible only up to a certain point. Countries perform poorly or moderately in both functions, or excel in only one function.
In a nutshell, while the younger democracies within the sample generally lag behind (mainly the Eastern European, Asian and Latin American cases, but also some Southern European countries), different media performance patterns can be observed for the more mature democracies. The vertical function – the degree of political information provided by the media – seems to be best guaranteed in the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian countries, as well as in Japan. This includes the United States, which is often considered the worst case for media performance. On the other hand, in Central and Western European countries, such as Austria, Germany and Switzerland, the horizontal function – the involvement of the media as a representative public forum – is much stronger.
These patterns can be observed at both the structural and content levels. Additional evidence shows that a country’s performance at the structural level affects its content performance, suggesting that the two levels are not independent of each other. The systemic conditions under which media outlets operate also seem to influence their reporting.
The Impact Of The Mass Media On The Quality Of Democracy
Do these differences in media performance according to vertical and horizontal functions actually affect the functioning of democracy in individual countries? In countries with a higher degree of media performance, political participation is higher and corruption is less. Civil society is generally more vibrant and elected representatives seem to better reflect citizens’ preferences. These results show that media performance is clearly related to at least some aspects of the functioning of a democratic regime. For this reason, based on its relevance from the point of view of democracy, it can be concluded that the debate as to whether the media fall short or fulfill the normative requirements imposed on them is very significant.
My findings also question the general and overwhelming assumptions made by both “media malaise” and “mobilization theories” about the state of media and democracy. Ultimately, both perspectives may benefit from considering comparative empirical evidence that distinguishes between different aspects of media performance and their influence on different elements of democracy.
Note: This article contains the views of the interviewee and not the position of the euro crisis in the press blog, EUROPP, nor the position of the London School of Economics.
Lisa Müller is the author of Comparing Mass Media in Established Democracies (Palgrave, 2014). In 2012, he obtained his doctorate in political science at the University of Zurich. His research interests are democracy theory and measurement, comparative media research and political communication.
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Inform citizens about: Current events (major events, sports, business and economy, politics, crime, etc.) their rights and responsibilities as citizens; information affecting their democratic decision-making and public participation (e.g. policies and actions of political parties, corruption, mismanagement). , fraud, etc.) Types of media then and now: Apartheid Censorship Social media and awareness of issues Information Protection Act Freedom of Media Political satire: Zapiro
The media should also provide a platform for: Sharing ideas and opinions Discussing and debating key issues In addition, the role of the media is to: entertain and educate its audience, promote nation building, encourage diversity of expression Types of media past and present: apartheid censorship social media & problem awareness The Information Protection Act Media Freedom Political satire: Zapiro
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The media must report in the following manner: Objective, factual and unbiased The media must also: Consult multiple sources to create an accurate and holistic picture of events, check their sources Provide equal coverage to political parties. of the public Types of Media Then and Now: Apartheid Censorship Social Media and Awareness of Issues Information Protection Act Freedom of the Media Political Satire: Zapiro
However, we must not forget that much of South Africa’s media is privately owned, and while the role of the media is to provide a SERVICE to the people… media operations are also driven by a strong PROFIT MOTIVE. Media Types Then and Now: Apartheid Censorship Social Media and Awareness of Issues Protection of Information Act Freedom of the Media Political Satire: Zapiro
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