News Media as Political Institutions

This chapter discusses research on the policies, laws, and subsidies that create and shape the organizational structures and practices that form the basis of the news media. The research reviewed treats news media institutions as political actors and makes assumptions about journalism’s importance in a democratic society. Although this line of research, with its emphasis on political economic and normative questions, often has been marginalized in American mass communication scholarship, the authors explain its ongoing importance, particularly in relation to the journalism crisis, and, suggest future directions.