International Media Systems

Introduction and Comparative Analysis

• Comparative analysis compares two or more things to highlight similarities and differences
• This helps in understanding international media systems and their functions
• It aids in identifying universal patterns and testing theories about media and politics
• The USA, Canada, and Western Europe are the primary countries of focus for this analysis
• Four Theories of the Press, though outdated, suggests media systems are reflections of countries' political and social structures

System Qualities

• A system comprises connected parts working together
• Key system qualities include being whole and connected, stable, changeable within limits, and connected to the environment

Media Market and Mass Press Development

• 19th century: Mass press emergence driven by industrialization, technological advancements, and increased literacy
• 20th century: Broadcasting expanded with radio and television
• 21st century: Digital and internet revolution sees decline of print media and the rise of social media

Information Flow

• Horizontal information flow is communication among equals, such as citizens
• Vertical information flow is top-down communication, like from government to the public

Media System Models

• These models provide frameworks for understanding countries' media systems based on political, economic, and historical factors
• The three models are Polarized Pluralist/Mediterranean, Democratic Corporatist/North/Central European, and Liberal/North Atlantic
• The models aren't perfect since each country's media is unique and contains traits from multiple models

Normative Theory

• Normative theory explores how things should be, prompting debate about its necessity in media studies
• Supporters believe it helps reflect on the media's ideal role
• Critics argue it overlooks practical realities of media system evolution and function

Comparative Study Limitations

• Challenges include difficulty in direct comparison, data collection issues, the need for qualitative research, and unclear objectives

Framework for Media System Comparison

• A framework focuses on development of media markets, political parallelism, journalistic professionalism, and state intervention

Development of Media Markets

• This examines the press development, especially mass newspaper circulation
• Considers how media markets develop with mass circulation and their focus areas
• Northern Europe exhibits large circulation with less focus on politics
• Southern Europe features smaller circulation targeting politically active groups
• Readership varies by gender, particularly in Southern Europe due to historical social and political factors

Dependence on Television

• Countries lacking mass newspaper circulation rely more on TV and news

Political Parallelism

• Political parallelism describes the relationship between media and politics, showing how much media reflects certain ideologies
• Political influences have shifted towards neutrality, but biases remain
• Party-press parallelism describes how closely media aligns with political parties demonstrating political parallelism through:
  • Media content reflects political views
  • Organizational ties connect media outlets and political groups
  • Journalists' roles are neutral
  • Audience's preferences align with their political views
• Types of Pluralism
  • External pluralism means each media outlet has different political views and high levels of political parallelism
  • Internal pluralism means, within the same media outlet, there is a wide range of political views, with low political parallelism

Broadcasting Models

• The government model means full government control over public broadcasting
• The professional model incorporates independent professional control without interference
• The parliamentary model has control shared by political parties
• The civic/corporatist model means control is shared by political parties and social groups like trade unions/churches

Journalistic Professionalism

• How professions gain recognition through training, knowledge, and ethics determines the level of journalistic professionalism and independence
• Core elements include autonomy, professional rules, and public service

State Intervention

• State intervention is the degree of government control over the media via public service broadcasting
• Public service broadcasting goals aim to serve the public interest with content subsidized in production
• It contrasts with commercial broadcasting, driven by profit through advertisements

Dimensions of Political Systems

• Political history, structure, and culture shape media systems, influencing the development of media institutions
• Economic factors also influence media systems
• The role of the state depends on its involvement in society
• State involvement includes statism (strong state control) and corporatism (cooperation between government and private sectors)

Five Dimensions of Political Systems

• Liberal democracy focuses on individual freedoms, free markets, and limited government intervention
• Welfare-state democracy emphasizes social justice, reduced inequality, and government responsibility for citizens' well-being

Democratic Systems

• Majoritarian democracy means "winner-takes-all" where the winning party dominates
  • It is common in two-party systems, and media aims to be neutral and serve the whole public in countries like the USA
• Consensus democracy shares power among parties and groups, making decisions together
  • It is typical in multi-party systems in countries like Belgium, with media reflecting a range of political viewpoints

Political and Social Representation

• Individual pluralism (liberalism) means people are represented as individuals, rather than as part of bigger groups
  • Media is often commercially driven and independent
  • The UK keeps media separate from political organizations for example
• Organized pluralism (corporatism) divides the society into groups i.e. labor unions, or religious communities
  • Media is more closely connected to political and social groups
  • Scandinavia and Germany historically link media outlets and political parties

Political Authority

• Rational-legal authority means a rule-based system, where formal rules overrule personal connections
  • This results in public media that remains neutral and professional in places like Germany and Sweden
• Clientelism describes a personal-connection based system, where power and resources are distributed through networks
  • This usually results in public media that is biased as seen in Italy or Greece

Types of Pluralism

• Moderate pluralism means there is less conflict, central political parties, and fewer differences
  • there are calmer political debates, compromise, neutral journalism, with examples in Northern Europe
• Polarized pluralism means it is more conflicted, radical political parties, and more prominent differences, making compromise unattainable
  • This results in journalism being opinionated and aligned with political parties, as seen in Southern Europe

Shaping of Media Systems

• How history shapes the media and influences them even now
• Path dependence describes events and decisions of the past, strongly impacting the present
• Early US and Northern European democracy and media freedom lead to professional impartial journalism
• Conversely, Southern Europe has strong political conflict that makes media more politically focused and delayed democratization

Polarized Pluralist Model (Mediterranean)

• Countries include Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, and Greece
• There is low newspaper circulation, but they are very political
• Features include strong political parallels, strong state involvement, and a weaker journalisic professionalism
• Political system has late democratization and the blend of majoritarian and consensus systems with clientelism and less legal structure

Democratic Corporatist Model (North/Central European)

• Countries include Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland
  • Media systems include high circulation and political but unbiased press
  • In the past there were more political parties, that evolved to be less involved now
  • There's strong journalistic professionalism and state participation where the freedom of the press is protected
  • There's rational and legal authority
  • There's strong state engagement in economy and well-being
  • Moderate pluralism

Liberal Model (North Atlantic)

• USA, Canada, UK and Ireland
• Media is moderately circulated and mostly unbiased (except the UK which is often more political)
• low government influence that is more driven by market, but journalistic professionalism is high
• Political structures have evolved to have early democratization, and are mainly majoritarian systems with legal authority and limited state involvement and welfare

Triangle Notes

• The triangle diagram makes it easy to see and understand data, but has limitations
  • No amount of clear criteria
  • A large number of countries don't neatly fit within
  • It's too broad and media is various withing the countries
  • Hasn't been updated since 2004 which make it difficult to include in complex media systems of today

Differentiation Theory

• It's when parts of communities are more segregated like finance, politics and media Differentiation is when media is more independent from social aspects liek social bodies, finance, politics etc. de-differentiation is when media is less dependent on for example: finance, and more dependent on politics

Instrumentalization

• When power is used to take advantage of influence media
• e.g. hides poor journalism and promotes success structuralism is how huge systems like politics affect what media is shown regardless of direction and power
• e.g. brands own many news outlets and focus on what is important to them rather than citizens

Polarization

• It's when groups are split into opposites because of their opinions
  • Ideological polarization - depending on how aligned to a side somebody is will show
  • Affective polarization - How strongly groups contrast to other groups
  • Perceived polariization - How polarizing society thinks it is selective exposure - people tend to pick media that reflects their bias
  • echo and filter bubbles - you can only consume media that echos your beliefs

News Audience Polarization

• This focuses on how many viewers of left and right wing news channels exist
  • Connect political and news audience parellelism by aligning views on channels and outlets
  • Varying viewers depending on poltical alighnment

USA and Polarization

• USA is the most polarized place which contrasts typicaly beliefs, because in liberal states, polarization is unexpected

Mediterranean or Polarized Pluralist Model

• Caused by delayed democratization which create political and parallel issues
  • Includes - spain, portugal, greece, italy, and paris

Media System Characteristics

• Polarized political state that has many ideologies
• close tie between political parties
  • Serves to promote political groups
  • state is weaked and influenced
  • deregulation that increases media that leads to profit

Article About Turkey

• Because of political control, Turkey's media

  • Is biased to AKP
  • Ruling parties receive positive coverage to improve the media Four Dimensions

• Weak circulating media, with main power being through Television

• high political parallelism

• journalist professionalism is low

• Is controlled by the government

Key points

• Previously a strong government influenced media, media evolved to be accessible
• In line with polarized pluralist model
• Television is the greatest outlet
• Mistrust in media on a national level
• In contrast there is trust on state channels

Gezi Protest

• Government refused acknowledge large number of participants and protesters in 2013
  • Penguins became synonymous with media censorship

Democratic Corporatist model

• Has political parallelism which is then at odds with journalist neutrality

State Role

• State power but not in terms of security

Article about Nordic countries

• Due to the government being less involved and lower audience numbers, they're evolving into a corporatist model

Article Comparing Countries

• Media is evolving due to online outlets, government strength on social media, and audience influence
• Hybrid and shifting media

Homogenization

• What to do to evolving systems? What is the goal?

Israel Key Findings

• Isreal's media evolved but commercial influence still has control - There has been public interest thanks to foreign involvement
• Newspapers continue to become relevant thanks to internet outlets