mass-communication-theory

130 Section 2 The Era of Mass Society and Mass Culture
or other minority groups at low cost, and the Internet
has made it possible for even the smallest
groups to enter their voices into the marketplace
of ideas. But some critics see the rise of many such
small groups as a Balkanization of the larger U.S.
culture. Before we can judge the validity of this
worry, however, the normative theory on which
our media system is grounded must be reformulated,
especially given technological and economic
changes reshaping the media. This will require a
critical reexamination of social responsibility theory
and careful consideration of alternatives.
Alternative normative theories, however, already
exist, although they may not be a good fit
for our political and social system. Developmental
media theory advocates media support for an
Critical Thinking Questions
1. Do you read news blogs? If so, which ones?
Which engage primarily in commentary and
which do original reporting? Do you trust
these online news sites more or less than you
do more traditional media outlets? Why or
why not? Do you agree with Nick Carr that
blogs have lost their fire, or are you with
Andrew Sullivan in thinking that their unique
writer-reader relationship creates something
so different from what was once considered
reporting that they will usher in “a golden era
for journalism”? Defend your answer.
2. Libertarianism is based on the self-righting
principle—if all the information is available,
good ideas will survive and bad ideas will
die. But this also assumes that the “debate”
between the ideas is fair. Do you think fairness
can be achieved in contemporary mass
Key Terms
social responsibility
theory
radical Libertarian
First Amendment
absolutists
technocratic control
existing political regime in its efforts to foster
national economic development. Democraticparticipant
theory advocates media support for
grassroots cultural pluralism. Hachten offered
five concepts: (1) Western, combining Libertarian
and social responsibility ideals; (2) development,
something akin to developmental media theory;
(3) revolutionary, in which the people and media
professionals use mass media to challenge an existing
regime; and (4) authoritarian and (5) communism,
in which media serve the dictates of
those in power. Recently, however, there have
been calls for a less category-based and more flexible
approach to normative theories, a transitional
media approach to evaluating a given society’s
media system.
media? Libertarianism also assumes that
people are good and rational, that they can
tell good ideas from bad ideas. Do you think
this highly of your fellow citizens? Why or
why not?
3. Social responsibility theory assumes a press
that balances profit and service under the
watch of an interested public. Many critics,
as you’ve read, believe the media have
favored profit over service as the public has
remained disinterested. But if journalism
becomes the product of a primarily nonprofit
or philanthropic system, how might
social responsibility theory have to be
reconfigured? What will it mean if profit is
no longer essential? What additional demands,
if any, will this place on the public?
authoritarian theory
self-righting principle
Bill of Rights
marketplace of ideas
laissez-faire doctrine
Fourth Estate
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