Media and Democracy

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.