Media & democracy

"While there is nearly universal agreement that the media play a vital and defining role in democracy everywhere it exists, ironically they are often unpopular. However, the media in a democratic system must be credible and reliable lest they lose their influence and authority. It is usually acknowledged that democracy almost never flourishes without an effective, independent media. The contributors to Media and Democracy discuss these issues with the clear recognition that generalizing about the media is often perilous.". "Ideally, democracy and media coexist and support each other through a process of negotiation hopefully aimed at developing a consensus about the public interest. Media and Democracy is an intriguing examination of these two important ingredients to American society. It will be of value to political scientists, communications scholars, media specialists, and sociologists."--BOOK JACKET.