Why Study News? The Democratic Role of News

This chapter asks, why is it important to understand and analyse the factors that influence the production of news? The democratic role attributed to news and journalism is introduced. The chapter explains how normative theories accord news a unique role in society to inform the public, facilitate the formation and representation of public opinion in the public sphere, perform a watchdog role, and act as a channel of information between power and the public. Next, the chapter describes how concurrent changes in technology and significant shifts in the economic context of news have led to concerns about the quality of news. The chapter illustrates why questioning and analysing influences on news production is increasingly urgent due to the significant state of flux—some say crisis—that the news media and journalism find themselves in.