Four Theories of the Press

Prepared by: Md. Mahbubul Haque Osmani Lecturer, MSJ, ULAB

What Media?
Different media have different roles and functions Newspapers differ from Magazines Weeklies differ from trade journals Radio has different role from television Books differ from all the others Film and recordings have their specific functions

Which social system

Some societies mass media play dominant role- in social interaction and political discussion Other societies mass media have only marginal role in the formation of public opinion

Four Theories of the Press

Four Theories of the Press

Fred S. Siebert, Theodore Peterson, and Wilbur Schramm Four major forms of international press:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Authoritarian Model Libertarian Model Communist Model Social responsibility Model

The Authoritarian Model

Control over media To maintain authority over their citizens Right to send may belong to the individual, but right to receive belongs to the society The society allows only certain kinds of messages to be sent by the media Role of the press is to be a servant of the government

The Authoritarian Model

Developed in the 16th and 17th centuries Absolute power of the monarchy (truth) Press supports monarchy Press must be licensed Cant criticize monarchy

The Authoritarian Model

Totalitarian states
Cuba, Venezuela, North Korea, Myanmar, Nazi Germany or Francos Spain (Spanish Civil War ,1936 and 1975, Francisco Franco took control of Spain) Censorship for moral content Iran forbids the broadcast of Baywatch Censorship of political news Cuba

Baywatch
(NBC, an American action drama series, 1989-2001)

Communist Model
Society controls both the right to send and the right receive Society can give these rights to individual on certain conditions Applicable in communist countries

Communist Model
- Press is run by the government to serve the governments own needs - Only one valid political and social philosophy - Proposes the following principles:
The media are an instrument of the government and the Communist Party. The media should be closely tied to other sources of government power. The medias main purpose is to act as a tool for government propaganda.

Communist Model
From Marx, Lenin and Stalin Press contributes to success of the state Only legal party members can publish Government has influence over the press Cant criticize party

Libertarian Model
Began during the Enlightenment (Milton, Locke, Mills): Rationalism and Natural Rights Time of the Founding Fathers Press informs, entertains and sells Press helps discover the truth the free marketplace of ideas anyone can publish Cant defame or be obscene Checks government

Libertarian Model
Press belongs to the people and serves as an independent observer of the government. It is based on the following principles:
People want to know the truth and be guided by it. To arrive at the truth is for ideas to be freely and openly discussed. Different people will have different opinions, and everyone must be allowed to develop their own. The most rational ideas will be the most accepted

The functions of the press are to inform, entertain, and advertise.

Libertarian Model
Individual owns both the right to send and the right to receive Society can limit these rights only to protect similar rights of other individuals Its pure form is not applied anywhere U.S. media system may be closest to it

Social Responsibility Model

Individual owns the right to receive, but society owns the right to send Society also has some control over what is received Mainly to protect the members of society against harmful communication- such as too much violence, explicit sex, abuse of children, or unwanted advertisements

Social Responsibility Model

Dont have a free marketplace, so press must be responsible or forced to be Everyone should have access to press (letters, opinions) Controlled by community opinion, ethics Cant violate peoples rights Press can be free and be comprehensive and objective

Social Responsibility Model

While the press may be free from interference by the government, it can still be controlled by corporate interests Press obliged to serve several social functions:
provide the news and information needed to make the political system work give the public the information needed for selfgovernance serve as an overseer of the government serve the economic function of bringing together buyers and sellers through advertising provide entertainment be profitable enough to avoid outside pressures.