This book questions how to monitor the contribution of mass media to democracy, and focuses on the initiatives, achievements and flaws of media monitoring. Moving beyond previous studies which have tended to discuss the legal issues related to media freedom alone, On Media Monitoring takes a broader approach, examining media structure, ownership, policy, economics, company conduct, law and regulation – all important indicators of how well the mass media serve contemporary democracies. Throughout, the book strikes a balance between monitoring initiatives with an academic, governmental, and non-governmental origin.
The book – which includes a new monitoring model, the Media for Democracy Monitor, together with the results of its initial empirical implementation – is intended to further discussion about how to monitor the contribution of the mass media to democracy. It is suitable for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and scholars who teach and research in this area.