SE 01c - Defining Media Systems

Definition of a media system

Product of national decisions in a corresponding country → macroinformation

subsystems of society → embedded in political, economic and cultural contexts

reflects flow of information and organization of media

relations to power, markets and public

What are media systems?

Total set of institutions, norms, actors and processes through which mass communication operates within a given society and interacts with its political, economic and cultural environment

Dimensions of media systems

3 analytical dimensions (shaped by political, economical, cultural and technological factors)

→ media formats: organisational structures and institutional settings

→ media contents: products of communication

→ media processes: interaction and operation with others systems

Functions of media systems

Contributes to reducing limitation of academic ideas

development in different countries

connection between media institurion, technologies and practices

comparing media use in different societies (analytically valuable)

→ framework for comparative studies

Components

Media actors (public/commercial channels)

authorities/organisations → control media

target groups (national/international) → media use in different societies

relevance of country/regional studies → cross-national research → transcultural and multicultural media

Critiques

Outdated and flawed

lose sight of boundaries of power

no appropriate analytical unit