Comparing media systems in new democracies: East meets South meets West Cover Image

Comparing media systems in new democracies: East meets South meets West
Comparing media systems in new democracies: East meets South meets West

Author(s): Katrin Voltmer
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego
Keywords: new democracies; transition of media systems; Hallin & Mancini models; comparative political communication

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents a comparative framework for understanding the emerging media systems in so-called third-wave democracies. Th ree pathways of democratization are distinguished – from communist oligarchy in Eastern Europe, from military dictatorship in Latin America, and from one-party dictatorship in Asia and Africa. Following Hallin & Mancini’s approach the paper then discusses for each of these pathways the particular patterns of transition of media markets, state-media relationships, political parallelism, and journalistic professionalism. Th e paper concludes by arguing that Western models of media systems cannot be easily applied to new democracies. Instead, new hybrid forms of political communication are emerging that blend liberal ideals of a free press with the trajectories of the past, indigenous values and the constraints and experiences of transition.

  • Issue Year: 1/2008
  • Issue No: 01
  • Page Range: 23-40
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: English