Press Freedom and Globalisation - International Press Institute

Abstract
Press Freedom and Globalisation
Press freedom is what enables democracies to work. A free press is supposed to maximise
political, social and cultural outcomes for citizens in a society. Democracy is commonly
accepted as the global standard of good governance. Hence, globalisation spreads
democracy including press freedom.
This thesis examines what effects such a spread has on press freedom. Further,
forces involved with globalisation has interests in how press freedom is formulated,
interpreted and practised. The thesis elaborates on how these forces promote, spread and
even manipulate press freedom.
In global communication there is a great gap between North and South. Global
media in the North also perform a dominance over South. An effect is how global media
are spreading Western values. Such perspectives are major issues in this thesis which gives
attention to the two regions of Scandinavia and East Africa. Scandinavia is in the main-
stream of Western democracies and ranks at the top level of press freedom globally. East
Africa attempts to join democratisation processes conducted by globalisation. Press free-
dom in East Africa is in a period of change between authoritarian systems and democracy.
A globalisation perspective on press freedom calls attention to how different forces
use or misuse press freedom in a global struggle for power.
Constructivism theory is employed. That one focus on roles of regimes, agents and
circumstances. Then the following questions arise: Who or what rule global press
freedom? Who or what spread press freedom globally? Which underlying forces support
good conditions for global press freedom?
Press freedom is only one among many concepts used in globalisation. However,
the study of how these forces interact with press freedom illustrates the great game of
globalisation.
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