Democratisation and the media: a preliminary discussion of experiences in Europe and Asia

Sparks, Colin (author)

Studies of the relationship of the mass media and democracy either rely very heavily on American and European experience, or they are focused studies of national cases. There are relatively few attempts to generalise from the rich diversity of the last thirty years. This article is an initial attempt to compare the experiences of the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe with the various dictatorships of East and South East Asia. It is argued that, despite the fact that there are important differences between communist and capitalist dictatorships, it is nevertheless theoretically possible to compare the two categories. An outline theory of the relationship between media and social power in both is introduced. In comparing Europe and Asia, it is argued that oppositions between "Western" and "Asian" values are not at all useful, despite their considerable popular currency at the time of writing (September 2001). In both cases, key democratic values like reason and media freedom have a contradictory status that defies continental generalisations. The article continues with an examination of the decay of the undemocratic regimes in the two continents and points to their differences and similarities. In particular, it is noted that there are surprising similarities of outcome in the media democratisation process despite the differences in starting point. The absence of radical democratic movements in Europe is contrasted with their apparently greater prominence in some parts of Asia. It is speculated that the future in China will involve political crises that will provide further opportunities for radical democratic movements.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2001
• Number of pages: Str. 7-30
• Numbering: Vol. 8, no. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-74576
• UDC: 659.3/.4
• ISSN on article: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 20951389
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Javnost
• Shortened title: Javnost
• Publisher: Taylor&Francis
• ISSN: 1318-3222
• COBISS.SI-ID: 40119808

Secondary language

• Language: Unknown
• Title: Demokratizacija in množični mediji

Abstract

Raziskovanje odnosa med množičnimi mediji in demokracijo se bodisi opira na ameriške in evropske izkušnje bodisi je usmerjeno na študije posameznih držav. Le malo je poskusov posploševanja na temelju bogate raznovrstnosti zadnjih tridesetih let. Članek poskuša primerjati izkušnje nekdanjih komunističnih držav srednje in vzhodne Evrope z diktaturami vzhodne in jugovzhodne Azije. Čeprav so med obema skupinama držav pomembne razlike, ju je nedvomno teoretsko mogoče primerjati. V nastavkih je oblikovana teorija odnosov med mediji in družbeno močjo v obeh skupinah. Primerjava med Evropo in Azijo kaže, da nasprotja med "zahodnimi" in "azijskimi" vrednotami niso uporabna za pojasnjevanje, čeprav so v obravnavah zelo popularna. V obeh primerih imajo najpomembnejše demokratične vrednote, kot sta razum in medijskasvoboda, protisloven položaj, ki preprečuje posploševanje na ravni celin. Nadaljevanje članka je namenjeno obravnavi zatona nedemokratičnih režimov na obeh celinah in izpostavlja razlike in podobnosti med njima. Kljub izhodiščnim razlikam se pojavljajo presenetljive podobnosti v rezultatih medijske demokratizacije. Za Evropo je značilna odsotnost radikalnih demokratičnih gibanj, ki pa so zelo značilne za nekatere države v Aziji. Videti je, da bo razvoj na Kitajskem zašel v politično krizo, ki bo priložnost za radikalna demokratična gibanja.