Comparing Mass Media in Established Democracies: Patterns of Media Performance

ISBN-13: 9781137391377 / Angielski / Twarda / 2014 / 270 str.

Lisa Muller

Opis

While the notion that mass media is an integral element of modern democracies is widely accepted, there is much controversy regarding the way in which the media has gone about playing its role as a cornerstone of democracy. This study contributes to the cross-national research on democratic media performance and its effects on the quality of democracy by grounding the debate over the role of the mass media in modern democracies in solid empirical, systematic and comparative evidence. The text develops a theoretical model of media performance which it then compares across numerous democratic states leading to the identification of varying patterns of media performance. The study also reveals important links between media performance and various aspects of a well-functioning democratic regime.

Spis treści

1. Introduction 2. Comparative Research on Media and Democracy PART I: ASSESSING DEMOCRATIC MEDIA PERFORMANCE 3. The Functions of the Media for Democracy 4. Measuring the Vertical and Horizontal Media Function 5. Comparing the Democratic Performance of Media Systems 6. Comparing the Democratic Performance of Media Content PART II: THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENCES IN MEDIA PERFORMANCE 7. The Supposed Impact of Media on the Quality of Democracy 8. Media Systems and the Quality of Democracy: Testing the Link 9. Conclusion

O autorze

Lisa Müller received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, in 2012. Her research interests include democracy theory and measurement, comparative media research and political communication. She has published and taught in the field of comparative democracy research.