POLSC221: Introduction to Comparative Politics

5.3: The Media

• 5.3.1: Media Ownership and Multimedia Conglomeration

  • Documania: "Noam Chomsky - Manufacturing Consent" Page

    Watch this documentary on Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent." While Chomsky is a controversial pacifist figure in American politics, his scholarly work on media ownership and the information environment is widely respected. As you watch both parts of the video, focus your attention on Chomsky's arguments regarding the relationship between the U.S. press and U.S. government.
    

• 5.3.2: The Free Press and the Information Market

  • Shanthi Kalathil's "Developing Independent Media as An Institution of Accountable Governance: A How-To Guide" File

    Read this report about media development, which plays an important role in a democracy by facilitating the open exchange of free, public discourse and information. What are the conditions needed to build, sustain, and support an independent media? How is media development related to governance reform?

• 5.3.3: Regulating the Media

  • Boundless: Political Science: "Chapter 10, Section 2: Regulation of the Media" URL

    Read this full section on media regulation. Why types of media are subject to government regulation? How have regulations changed with the emergence of the Internet?
    

• 5.3.4: Electronic Politics (e-Politics)

  • Journal of e-Democracy & Open Government: Julie Freeman and Sharna Quirke's "Understanding E-Democracy Government-Led Initiatives for Democratic Reform" File

    Read this full report. E-Democracy is a process in which which citizens can participate in the development of its country's laws, thereby facilitating active civic participation and government reform. Why have advancements in e-Democracy come so slowly? What is the role of governments in enabling citizen input to inform decision-making?