Media and Democracy

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the role of the mass media. Specifically, it analyzes the theory that the media is a vital part of the democratic process in America. The paper suggests that media information provides vital information for decision making and the democratic process. It then discusses the opposing opinion also argued by theorists, that in fact the mass media impedes or obstructs the democratic process to a certain extent. The paper provides examples to illustrate both these sides of the argument.

From the Paper:

"In conclusion the answer to the central question of whether the mass media enhances or diminishes the prospect of democracy in the United States must be ambiguous to a certain extent. On the one hand there is the important function that the mass media has of providing information that is useful and accessible to the general public. However, on the other hand there is the concern that has been growing in recent years that the Media, which is dependent on advertising revenue, can be manipulated and corrupted to certain ends. "It is impossible to separate the various media in advanced industrial countries from their enormous advertising base. The companies that provide the advertising revenues that now sustain most mass media have a stake in the established economic and political order. "(Gannaway) The suspicion therefore exists that that large institutions and companies may be a source of bias in the media. In America that can pervert or misdirect the democratic process."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Carey, James W. "The Mass Media and Democracy: Between the Modern and the Postmodern." Journal of International Affairs 47.1 (1993): 1-21. Questia. 6 Dec. 2006 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001672545>.
• Compaine, Benjamin M., and Douglas Gomery. Who Owns the Media?: Competition and Concentration in the Mass Media Industry. 3rd ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000. Questia. 6 Dec. 2006 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=58990893>.
• Graber D. THE MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY: Beyond Myths and Stereotypes. Department of Political Science, University of Illinois. 1 December, 2006. http://arjournals.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.polisci.6.121901.085707?cookieSet=1&journalCode=polisci
• Gannaway N. MIND CONTROL AND THE MEDIA. 1 December, 2006. http://www.converge.org.nz/pirm/mind_con.htm
• Mcchesney, Robert W. "Are the Media Killing Democracy?." Free Inquiry Winter 1999: 44. Questia. 6 Dec. 2006 <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001865238>.

More papers on Media and Democracy:

• Essay # 74148 : "Australian Media and Democracy"
• Essay # 31362 : "The Media and Democracy"
• Essay # 50520 : "The Media and Democracy"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: