Democracy and Press

Contents: Preface. 1. Democracy and press: role and functions. 2. Democratisation and mass communication. 3. Philosophical bases of democratic socialist press theory. 4. Development of the mass media. 5. Democratic needs of the press. 6. Contribution of spiral silence theory in understanding mass media. 7. Bias in politics: television news and public opinion. 8. Media, experts and public opinion. 9. Media and democratic development: basis of political communication. 10. Mass media in Asia. 11. Media and democracy in Eastern Europe. 12. Policies for the future. 13. Future of public opinion in democratic societies. Bibliography. Index.

"Democracy and Press has it and it seems like many other countries want it. Despite the banter in today\'s media, many Indians are still in the dark when it comes to knowing and acting upon their rights and responsibilities as citizens of a democratic society. In refreshingly candid and straight-to-the-point language editor takes readers of all ages on an A-Z trip through our government\'s structure, from its earliest beginnings to definitions of basic components and concepts.

This volume in the series takes a close look at the role of the press in a democracy through a collection of essays by journalists and scholars. The essays examine the orientation of the press in a democracy, the function of the press in democracies, the government and the press, the structure and nature of the Indian Press, and the future of news and journalism. The collection is aimed at correcting mistaken impressions about Indian media, that mainstream conventional journalism is the only "legitimate" journalism; that journalism as practiced currently in the India is the only valid model; and that Indian journalism is not affected by journalistic trends and developments in other nations.

The text offers a great deal of information about the history of democracy, the development and processes of Indian Government, and the people who have contributed to our country." (jacket)