What is the role of the media in a democratic society?

[Gentlemenchin195]

Isn't it the medias responsibility to cover government fairly and accurately so that the people know what if going on and can make an informed decision?

What kind of media fails to cover the all goings on in government accurately, completely and fairly?

Is this the kind of media that a democratic society enjoys?
I am not talking about Fox or MSNBC. I am talking about the major networks that are favored by the majority of the population.

[Jonny 5]

now days it just mirrors your thoughts

[ellisdee]

To be "Fair and Balanced".....

[El Tecolote]

Since we live in a Republic, the media can do whatever they want, show you whatever they want, shape it in a way that they want and THAT'S why they're called the Fourth Estate.

[Dirty White Boy.]

With the support of the main stream media and the Wall street protesters, The Democratic party is transitioning itself to be True blue Hard line Socialists .

[Too crazy for Fox]

It's a business. They are about ratings and revenue - the next quarterly statement. This is America. Whether it's agribusiness, energy, media, medicine - it's about profits - consumers beware.

[W.C. Felcher]

There are, in the body politic, economic and social, many and grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless exposure of and attack upon every evil man whether politician or business man, every evil practice, whether in politics, in business, or in social life. I hail as a benefactor every writer or speaker, every man who, on the platform, or in book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless severity makes such attack, provided always that he in his turn remembers that the attack is of use only if it is absolutely truthful.

—Theodore Roosevelt


"propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state."

Using the propaganda model, Manufacturing Consent posits that corporate-owned news mass communication media — print, radio, television — are businesses subject to commercial competition for advertising revenue and profit. As such, their distortion (editorial bias) of news reportage — i.e. what types of news, which items, and how they are reported — is a consequence of the profit motive that requires establishing a stable, profitable business; therefore, news businesses favoring profit over the public interest succeed, while those favoring reportorial accuracy over profits fail, and are relegated to the margins of their markets (low sales and ratings). -- Noam Chomsky