Normative Theories of the Media

by Christians, Clifford G.

• ISBN13: 9780252034237
• ISBN10: 0252034236
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-07-10
• Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr

Summary

Using Fred S. Siebert, Theodore Peterson, and Wilbur Schramm's classicFour Theories of the Pressas their point of departure, the authors consider what the role of journalism ought to be in a democratic society. They examine the philosophical underpinnings and political realities of journalism, thereby identifying four distinct yet overlapping roles for the media: "monitorial," "facilitative," "radical," and "collaborative." Ultimately they show how these competing paradigms can affect the laws, policies, and public attitudes of a liberal society.

Author Biography

Clifford G. Christians is research professor of communications and the director of the Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Theodore L. Glasser is a professor of communication at Stanford University. Denis McQuail is a professor emeritus of mass communication at the University of Amsterdam. Kaarle Nordenstreng is a professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Tampere, Finland. Robert A. White is a professor of social sciences and communications at St. Augustine University of Tanzania.