Media Systems in Comparative Perspectives
CM1008
Giorgia Sisto Stuvia Notes
Lectures Week 1-8
Tutorials 1-8
1. Media Systems Characteristics
2. Political System Characteristics
3. Comparing Media Systems
4. The Mediterranean Model
5. The North/Central European Model
6. The North Atlantic Model
7. Media Systems Beyond the Western World
8. Media Systems, conclusions
Notes via Stuvia, Giorgia Sisto 1
,YELLOW: THEORIES/DEF.
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
QUESTIONS
Notes via Stuvia, Giorgia Sisto 2
, Media Systems Characteristics, #1 week
#1.1 LECTURE: Media Systems and their Characteristics
● A system is a whole, made up of interconnecting parts → we call this relationship: irreducibility
of a system.
● There are necessary and dependent relationships between the parts that make up a system and
keep it stable → stability.
● The parts are in motion and if one part changes, so do the other parts → variety and flexibility.
● There are limits to the amount of change a system can take → constraint.
● Systems are open, they relate to their environment → this makes them vulnerable.
Systems Theory: interdisciplinary study of systems. A system is a cohesive group of interrelated and
interdependent parts.
Media Systems are an application of Systems Theory:
● A country’s media institutions and practices. Hardy: “a media system comprises all mass media
organized and operating within a given social and political system (usually a state)”.
● Media systems have to be conceived as a whole; it includes several features that cannot be
considered separately.
● Media systems include procedures, routines, and cultures that connect these media outlets to the
surrounding context.
● Media systems recreate and modify themselves through reactions to changes in other social
systems. Systems maintain coherence while continuously adapting to the external influences.
● A system is a methodological tool, used for comparative research.
According to Hallin & Mancini: “a media system is a country’s complex structure of media institutions
and practices that interact with and shape one another, and which is structurally and historically linked to
the political and economic system”.
1. There are characteristic patterns of relationships between media, political and economic systems.
2. MS are not homogeneous → not the result of a single ideology.
3. MS are composed of many elements, differing in normative expectations and regulations.
4. MS result from meaningful patterns of historical development → called path dependency (the
outcome depends on the historical path of developments)
5. National media systems are subject to change → globalisation
HOW TO ASSESS A MEDIA SYSTEM? (remember that each country has its own unique system)
There are 4 dimensions that serve as pillars for the classification in individual countries’ media systems.
Dimensions are useful to understand the dynamics of media and politics in different contexts. * video 1
These dimensions create particular constellations (models).
Notes via Stuvia, Giorgia Sisto 3
, 1. MEDIA MARKETS: how is media produced, financed, and
consumed? * video 2
2. POLITICAL PARALLELISM: media’s engagement and alliances
with particular social groups/ ideologies.
3. MEDIA PROFESSIONALIZATION: level of professionalism we
see in the media. Rules and norms of operation and evaluation of media outputs (e.g.
professional autonomy, routines, norms, associations,.....). Issue of instrumentalization: the
control of media by political or outside actors.
4. STATE INTERVENTION IN THE MEDIA: media’s relations with actors and institutions of political
power. This includes media policies, censorship, and regulation. * video 3
* example video 1
Media Markets: Italian audiences rely heavily on TV for news, and satellite subscriptions are popular.
Murdoch wants in on that market. Political Parallelism: Most TV channels follow the opinions of the
party in charge (Berlusconi's party). Newspapers are more independent. Media Professionalization:
Journalists follow the network policy, they are not independent. Reporting is influenced by the owner of
the network. Role of the State: In this case Berlusconi is using state regulation to inhibit Murdoch from
entering the Italian market.
* example video 2
The Australian government wants to protect professional news organizations and is hoping to pass a law
that will force Google and Facebook to pay for the content that they make available. Google resists. The
news organizations operate nationally, and are losing revenue to Google. Of course, Google wants to
keep its business. It affects all dimensions of media systems, but in particular the Media Markets, Media
Professionalism and the Role of the State.
* example video 3
A good example of the Role of the State: France has a law requiring radio stations to play
French-language songs, to stop the invasion of English-language songs, and protect the French music
industry.
It shows how regulation (laws, requirements, licenses, fees, fines etc.) from the government can impact
the media system as a whole. Media Markets and Media Professionalism are affected.
#1.2 LECTURE: Global Comparison of Media Systems
WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF (CROSS-NATIONAL) COMPARISON?
● Comparison is a basic social-scientific research activity
Notes via Stuvia, Giorgia Sisto 4
