The basic elements in a liberal democracy are regular elections, a parliament exercising control over government within law and individuals freedoms such as free debate, freedom of association and the right to protest (Carter & Stokes, 2002).
Regular elections should include competitiveness among parties to keep elections fair and voters should be aware of their interests. Additionally, as Carter and Stokes (2002) state that there should be “a parliament that can exercise control over the government and all this happens within a frame work of the rule of law” (p.10).
A liberal democracy should include extensive freedoms of speech, press (all media properties), association, movement, thought and belief, assembly and protest, and language and culture expression. These freedoms can also be referred as ‘individual freedoms’ which their purpose is understood greater with the help of media properties. Crowley (2011) states “a free and vibrant press plays an important role around the world in the development of civil society and accountable governments” and continues with a broader rule “the freer the press, the more transparent and more democratic the government is likely to be.” (Importance of a Free and Vibrant Press section, para.4). If press is free and committed to the promotion of freedom of expression, the basic steps into forming a true civil society can be taken. One example is from former Yugoslavia which the growth of an independent media helped to change a country, “contributing to the dynamic that led to the end of the rule of Slobodan Milosevic, and his transfer to The Hague where he died in prison while facing charges for crimes against humanity” (Importance of a Free and Vibrant Press section, para.6).
In order to sust...
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...media’s lack of coverage during the Gezi Park protests during June 2013 (Fraser, 2013).
Works Cited
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UN General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948, 217 A (III), available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3712c.html [accessed 2 December 2013]
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John Street (2011). Mass Media, Politics & Democracy. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Micheal Schudson (2008). Why Democracies Need An Unlovable Press. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Dennis, E. E. & Snyder, R. W. (Eds.). (1998) Media & Democracy. New Jersey, NJ: Transaction Publishers.
UN General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948, 217 A (III), available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3712c.html [accessed 9 March 2014]
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (n.d.). United Nations. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml
Media is therefore bad for democracy. Stated throughout this paper is the level of bias that is displayed in media. This level of bias sways the public far right or far left. Their decisions are based on one side of a political point of view. They are repeatedly fed with misguided information that eventually make they choose based on the information they receive. The media tends to hide the truth and to pick and choose what they really want you to hear not necessarily what you need to hear. Its stated that media is filled with bias information but is ignored to suit those of higher power. Therefore media is bad for democracy and is misguiding those who it reaches to.
One of the fundamental roles of the media in a liberal democracy is to critically scrutinise governmental affairs: that is to act as a watchdog of government to ensure that the government can be held accountable by the public. However, the systematic deregulation of media systems worldwide is diminishing the ability of citizens to meaningfully participate in policymaking process governing the media (McChesney, 2003, p. 126). The relaxation of ownership rules and control, has resulted in a move away from diversity of production to a situation where media ownership is becoming increasing concentrated by just a few predominantly western global conglomerates (M...
Jonathan D. Spence, 1991. The Search for Modern China.1st Paperback Edition. W. W. Norton & Company.
48 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted 10 December 1948 UNGA Res 217 A(III) (UDHR), Art 1
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), G.A. res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc A/810 at 71.
The contrasting world of freedoms of speech, opinions and the press met in tragic circumstances when a number staff of the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo were shot dead for printing comical images of Allah. In a representative democracy the individual has the right to fair trial and punishment and while the attackers felt the retribution was legitimate within their socio-political sphere ,within a representative democracy like France it is
The need to address government control over the state-owned media, both print and broadcast and to either privatize t...
Liberal Democracy is a form of government which individual rights and freedom are officially recognised and protected. Liberal Democracy is based on 3 main principles, belief in the individual, belief in reason and progress. Liberal Democracies ideologies are, the right to life and personal security, freedom from slavery, freedom of movement,
As Americans we take pride in our liberating government. But, it is essential to ask how much we, the general public, know about our democracy. Because of the representative structure of our government, it is in our best interest to remain as knowledgeable as possible about political affairs so that we can play an active role in our democracy by voting for candidates and issues. The media, which includes print, television, and the internet, is our primary link to political events and issues. (For the purposes of this essay only print and television will be considered.) Therefore, in order to assess the success of our democracy it is necessary to assess the soundness of our media. We are lucky enough to have a media, in theory, free from government influences because of our rights to freedom of press and freedom of speech, but we are still subject to the media’s interpretation and presentation of politics, as is the danger when depending on any source for information. So, we must address how the media informs us; how successful it is at doing so; and how we should respond to it.
Even though many argument are made against democratic regimes, it is clear that there isn’t any other political system that is able to fulfill the will of its citizens and give power to the many through nation-wide election of representatives, mayors, presidents and so on. Back in ancient Greece, this concept was reserved to eligible men, but as our world evolved, we have been able to spread democracy towards any ethnicity and gender. As new democracies emerge, we must not forget that no system is perfect, and every democracy will have its downsides as well as people who are unhappy, but bare in mind that no other political system aims to serve the needs of its citizens, while at the same time providing a safe and liberal
"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one." This quote by A.J. Liebling illustrates the reality of where the media stands in today's society. Over the past twenty years there has been an increase in power throughout the media with regard to politics. The media's original purpose was to inform the public of the relevant events that occurred around the world. The job of the media is to search out the truth and relay that news to the people. The media has the power to inform the people but often times the stories given to the public are distorted for one reason or another. Using slant and sensationalism, the media has begun to shape our views in society and the process by which we choose our leaders. There was once a time when the government used the media as a medium to influence voters, committees, communities etc. Recently, it has been the presidents of major media outlets that have not only exercised power over the public but also made their presences felt in government and in the halls of congress. When the word democracy is thrown about it usually has to do with the rights or original intentions for a group or organization. The first group intended to be influenced by the media was the informed voter. Political parties along with the government used a variety of media resources to persuade the voter or in effect receive a vote for their cause. Returning to the thought of ?democracy? the question is, what was the original intention of the media with relation to the theme of democracy and the informed voter? To analyze this thought thoroughly one must first grasp an understanding of the basic definition of democracy.
In a democracy, free and fair elections which are held after around half a decade, guarantee social rights and equality. These elections ensure that every citizen has the right to vote, and hence they create social stability among the society. Each and every individual casting his vote in the elections reduces discrimination among the people. Citizens are not judged on the basis of religion, race, color, social status and so on. In this way, the dignity of nationals is not damaged and people can live in peace. In addition to voting rights, a democracy also assures access to other services like security, education, property rights, and healthcare facilities. These human rights maintain social equity and involv...
Democracy is commonly defined as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Freedom and democracy walk hand in hand. Democracy is only compatible with a free economy. It is completely incompatible with a system that provides for a governing authority with coercive power. We live in a society today where the media plays a pivotal role in how we see the world, and how our opinions are formed, whether it is from what we watch on television or what we gather from newspapers or internet. Media acts as an interface between the common man and the Government. It is a very powerful tool with the ability to make and break the opinion of people. If media tells the public that this picture is being demanded as one