In this essay, John Keane rethinks the relationship between the media and democracy. He opens up and explores a cluster of vital questions: where did the modern ideals of republican democracy and 'liberty of the press' originate? Have they been destroyed during the twentieth century by new forms of state censorship, or the emergence of transnational media conglomerates, or the growth of electronic media? Do the new digital technologies, satellite broadcasting and the convergence of broadcasting and telecommunications hinder or help these ideals? Is the free and equal communication of citizens through the media a feasible ideal at the end of the twentieth century? While these questions have long been neglected in social science and in the high-pressured world of print and electronic journalism, Keane restores them to the centre of political analysis and debate. He challenges many conventional assumptions of journalists, academics and policymakers. His essay sets out a radically new account of the importance of the media to democracy and elaborates a new conception of the public service model of communications - a model which would expose invisible power, publicize risks and facilitate 'a genuine commonwealth of forms of life, tastes and opinions'. "The Media and Democracy" is a remarkable book. It will be widely appreciated by students of democracy, politics and the media, as well as by all those interested in the expanding importantce of mass communications in contemporary society.

It is a view commonly acknowledged that the mass media have a crucial role to play in the development and maintenance of democracy. It is a matter of greater controversy as to whether the media’s influence upon democracy is as constructive as it might be. This collection explores the various impacts upon democratic structures and processes of different media forms in different parts of the world. It examines the very different influences of the press in democratic Nigeria and post-Leveson Britain; it looks at how social media are used by politicians, voters and revolutionaries in the UK, Poland and the Arab Region; it investigates the political impact of media ownership in Britain, Italy and Argentina; and it asks whether we can ever hope to develop from being passive consumers of the mass media to active participants in modes of democratic citizenship underpinned by those media.

This book presents a systematic overview and assessment of the impacts of politics on the media, and of the media on politics, in authoritarian, transitional and democratic regimes in Russia, Spain, Hungary, Chile, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States. Its analysis of the interactions between macro- and micro-level factors incorporates the disciplinary perspectives of political science, mass communications, sociology and social psychology. These essays show that media's effects on politics are the product of often complex and contingent interactions among various causal factors, including media technologies, the structure of the media market, the legal and regulatory framework, the nature of basic political institutions, and the characteristics of individual citizens. The authors' conclusions challenge a number of conventional wisdoms concerning the political roles and effects of the mass media on regime support and change, on the political behavior of citizens, and on the quality of democracy.

A timely and provocative exploration of contemporary political communication from a world-leading author team. In an age of "fake news" and Youtube algorithms it can be tempting to see politics as all mediation, but this book refocuses on the broader contexts or neoliberalism, elites, populism, activism and so on. There′s more to Trump than Twitter.

This title was first published in 2000. Offering original insights into the relationship between media and democratic theory, this volume brings together a renowned collection of international specialists who examine media and democracy, professional journalism, the anatomy of content and the current issues which concern both institutions. Challenging conventional discourse, this comprehensive collection contains the most incisive and informative articles on this fundamental subject.

The last quarter of a century has seen an unprecedented wave of democratization around the globe. In these transitions from authoritarian rule to a more democratic order, the media have played a key role both by facilitating, but frequently also inhibiting, democratic practices to take root. This book provides an accessible and systematic introduction to the media in transitional democracies. It analyses the problems that occur when transforming the media into independent institutions that are able to inform citizens and hold governments to account. The book covers the following topics: normative conceptions of media and democracy; the role of the past in the transition process; the internet as a new space for democratic change; the persistence of political interference in emerging democracies; the interlocking power of media markets and political ownership; the challenges to journalistic professionalism in post-authoritarian contexts; the role of the media in divided societies; The book takes a global view by exploring the interplay of political and media transitions in different pathways of democratization that have taken place in Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. It will be of interest to advanced students and scholars who want a better understanding of the media outside established Western democracies. The book will also be of great value to policymakers and activists who are involved in strengthening the media in transitional democracies.

Media and Democracy addresses key topics and themes in relation to democratic theory, media and technology, comparative media studies, media and history, and the evolution of media research. For example: How does TV entertainment contribute to the democratic life of society? Why are Americans less informed about politics and international affairs than Europeans? How should new communications technology and globalisation change our understanding of the democratic role of the media? What does the rise of international ezines reveal about the limits of the internet? What is the future of journalism? Does advertising influence the media? Is American media independence from government a myth? How have the media influenced the development of modern society? Professor Curran's response to these questions provides both a clear introduction to media research, written for university undergraduates studying in different countries, and an innovative analysis written by one of the field's leading scholars.

Popular Media, Democracy and Development in Africa examines the role that popular media could play to encourage political debate, provide information for development, or critique the very definitions of ‘democracy’ and ‘development’. Drawing on diverse case studies from various regions of the African continent, essays employ a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to ask critical questions about the potential of popular media to contribute to democratic culture, provide sites of resistance, or, conversely, act as agents for the spread of Americanized entertainment culture to the detriment of local traditions. A wide variety of media formats and platforms are discussed, ranging from radio and television to the Internet, mobile phones, street posters, film and music. As part of the Routledge series Internationalizing Media Studies, the book responds to the important challenge of broadening perspectives on media studies by bringing together a range of expert analyses of media in the African continent that will be of interest to students and scholars of media in Africa and further afield.

While there is nearly universal agreement that the media play a vital and defining role in democracy everywhere it exists, ironically they are often unpopular. However, the media in a democratic system must be credible and reliable lest they lose their influence and authority. It is usually acknowledged that democracy almost never flourishes without an effective, independent media. The contributors to "Media and Democracy "discuss these issues with the clear recognition that generalizing about the media is often perilous. In the opening section of this volume, "Definitive Questions," chapters by Leo Bogart and Denis McQuail explore the contemporary relationship between media and democracy and its implications for the future. The next section, "Media and the Dynamics of Democracy Around the World," opens with contributions from Vaclav Havel and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former secretary-general of the United Nations. They are joined by authors who examine the relationship between media and democracy in specific locations around the world. The third part, "Journalism as a Democratic Discipline," explores the demands that democracy makes on journalists in chapters by Robert MacNeil, Brian Mulroney, and Margaret T. Gordon. In the final"section, "Democracy and New Media," Lawrence K. Grossman, Sara B. Ivry, and Andrew C. Gordon consider the implications for democracy of new media technologies. Christopher Dornan concludes the book with a review essay examining recent books on media and democracy. Ideally, democracy and media coexist and support each other through a process of negotiation hopefully aimed at developing a consensus about the public interest. "Media and Democracy "is an intriguing examination of these two important ingredients to American society. It will be of value to political scientists, communications scholars, media specialists, and sociologists.

The third edition of Media, Politics and Democracy examines the fraught debate over media influence, who wields it and what effect social and traditional media has on what we think, how we behave, and how we vote. Charting the media conglomerates of old, the alarming rise of the Tech Giants in recent decades, concerns over 'fake news', and the use of social media by political candidates, this book places contemporary anxieties into historical context and compares the response to such issues across different states and societies. Using examples from around the world, Street tackles the changing nature of political communications and brings under scrutiny the question of how a democratic society can function alongside a democratic media. Suitable for students studying politics and the media, political communications and other related fields. New to this Edition: - Completely revised and updated version of Mass Media, Politics and Democracy. - Includes a new chapter on the power of the Tech Giants. - Contains detailed accounts of the significance of figures such as Donald Trump, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. - Student questions and issues for debate interspersed throughout the book.