15 Politics and Policies of Journalism and Free Press
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Anthony Mills
Abstract
Throughout history journalism has been perceived by society and the profession as a counterbalance to power abuse, the actor entrusted by the public with the willingness and ability to hold power and especially the State to account. A free public sphere requires free journalism if the principles of enlightenment are to flourish. A free press is incontrovertibly linked to the degree of freedom in a society and while one does not necessarily guarantee the other, the undermining of freedoms in social life is connected with the lack of freedom of expression. The concepts of free speech and the right to impart and access information constitute pillars of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations 2016) & the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights (Council of Europe 2016) and of constitutions across the globe. The underlying understanding is that without the freedom to debate issues of public interest using the best and most accurate information available, democracy as a goal and lived political system is impeded. This chapter discusses the politics and policies that impact on journalism, with the starting point that normatively, journalists should seek to hold power accountable.
Abstract
Throughout history journalism has been perceived by society and the profession as a counterbalance to power abuse, the actor entrusted by the public with the willingness and ability to hold power and especially the State to account. A free public sphere requires free journalism if the principles of enlightenment are to flourish. A free press is incontrovertibly linked to the degree of freedom in a society and while one does not necessarily guarantee the other, the undermining of freedoms in social life is connected with the lack of freedom of expression. The concepts of free speech and the right to impart and access information constitute pillars of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (United Nations 2016) & the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights (Council of Europe 2016) and of constitutions across the globe. The underlying understanding is that without the freedom to debate issues of public interest using the best and most accurate information available, democracy as a goal and lived political system is impeded. This chapter discusses the politics and policies that impact on journalism, with the starting point that normatively, journalists should seek to hold power accountable.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series v
- Acknowledgements ix
- Contents xi
- 1. Journalism 1
- 2. Journalism history 19
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I Foundations of the Field
- 3. Roles of Journalists 43
- 4. Epistemologies of Journalism 63
- 5. Journalism Ethics 83
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II. Conceptualizing the Field
- 6. Journalism as Practice 105
- 7. Journalism as Institution 125
- 8. Journalism as Public Sphere 149
- 9. Journalism as Memory 169
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III. Theorizing the Field
- 10. Journalism as Agenda Setting 189
- 11. Journalism as Framing 205
- 12. Journalism as Gatekeeping 235
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IV. Journalism via the Disciplines
- 13. The Sociology of Journalism 257
- 14. The Economics of Journalism and News Provision 281
- 15 Politics and Policies of Journalism and Free Press 297
- 16. The Technology of Journalism 321
- 17. Journalism and Geography 335
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V. The Journalism Ecology
- 18. Entrepreneurial Journalism 355
- 19. Mapping the Citizen News Landscape: Blurring Boundaries, Promises, Perils, and Beyond 373
- 20. Advocacy Journalism 391
- 21. Documentary Journalism 415
- 22. Lifestyle Journalism 433
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VI. The Issues of Journalism
- 23. Journalism, War, and Peace 453
- 24. Journalism, Censorship, and Press Freedom 473
- 25. Journalism, Pluralism, and Diversity 493
- 26. Journalism, Gender, and Race 511
- 27. Journalism, Audiences and Community Engagement 531
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VII. Conclusion
- 28. Journalism and Change 555
- 29. The Future of Journalism Scholarship 575
- Biographical sketches 587
- Index 591
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter i
- Preface to Handbooks of Communication Science series v
- Acknowledgements ix
- Contents xi
- 1. Journalism 1
- 2. Journalism history 19
-
I Foundations of the Field
- 3. Roles of Journalists 43
- 4. Epistemologies of Journalism 63
- 5. Journalism Ethics 83
-
II. Conceptualizing the Field
- 6. Journalism as Practice 105
- 7. Journalism as Institution 125
- 8. Journalism as Public Sphere 149
- 9. Journalism as Memory 169
-
III. Theorizing the Field
- 10. Journalism as Agenda Setting 189
- 11. Journalism as Framing 205
- 12. Journalism as Gatekeeping 235
-
IV. Journalism via the Disciplines
- 13. The Sociology of Journalism 257
- 14. The Economics of Journalism and News Provision 281
- 15 Politics and Policies of Journalism and Free Press 297
- 16. The Technology of Journalism 321
- 17. Journalism and Geography 335
-
V. The Journalism Ecology
- 18. Entrepreneurial Journalism 355
- 19. Mapping the Citizen News Landscape: Blurring Boundaries, Promises, Perils, and Beyond 373
- 20. Advocacy Journalism 391
- 21. Documentary Journalism 415
- 22. Lifestyle Journalism 433
-
VI. The Issues of Journalism
- 23. Journalism, War, and Peace 453
- 24. Journalism, Censorship, and Press Freedom 473
- 25. Journalism, Pluralism, and Diversity 493
- 26. Journalism, Gender, and Race 511
- 27. Journalism, Audiences and Community Engagement 531
-
VII. Conclusion
- 28. Journalism and Change 555
- 29. The Future of Journalism Scholarship 575
- Biographical sketches 587
- Index 591
