Media in Society: Purpose and Performance

Abstract

The more prominently the media have featured in the life of a people the sharper has been the debate on what purposes the media ought to serve in society. In the 19th century the press were sufficiently influential to earn the title Fourth Estate, a part of the power structure alongside government, the church and the law. This chapter attempts a survey of a number of definitions of the purpose and role of the media, starting with three broad models of media function — propagandist, commercial laissez-faire and public service. The shift from public to private, aided and abetted by imperatives brought about by new technology, is sketched in to remind us of the rapidity of change and the volatility of definitions. Then six normative theories arising out of specific cultural/political contexts are discussed. A core feature common to all media, their relationship with centres of political and economic power, leads us to examine the part media play in reality-definition and as agents of social control. Ultimately how the media are constituted — as private or public enterprises — governs how they perform and what principles inspire practice.