The
Press has been called many things, globally. From the fourth arm of government
in democracies to watchdog of the government, these descriptions are far from
being false and come with numerous responsibilities.
The
Press is the news media- the collection of the organisations and agencies that
collect the news, process and publish it for public consumption.
Like
any organisation and or profession, the media or press has theories that guide
its operations. They include the Authoritarian Theory, the Libertarian Theory,
the Social Responsibility Theory, the Soviet Totalitarian Theory and the Development
Communication Theory. The first four theories were developed between the 16th
and 20th century. The fifth theory, however, emerged with modernism
and is considered transcendent to the assumptions underlying the earlier four
theories. The details of each theory are explained below:
The
Totalitarian Theory which developed in the 16th and 17thCentury
is one which supports the policies of the government in power. The press that
operates under this theory typically favours the ruling power of the day. Its
policies allows for extensive governmental control of what is published as news
and what is left out. This allows for government censoring of news items. In
this system, the press is supportive of government and advocates for it. Under
strict totalitarian systems, journalists or press men who question activities
of government are punished, and media houses are scruitinised. Examples of
countries that are supportive of the totalitarian system are China and
Singapore. The media supports the government in its attempt to develop and
stablise the economy.
The
Libertarian Theory on the other hand is a sharp contrast to the totalitarian. “It
is generally traced back to England and the American colonies of the
seventeenth century.”This system supports freedom of the press, which in turn
is representative of the voice of the citizens. The libertarian press sides
with the people against government misconducts; however, their main focus is to
acquire and provide to the public, information that is comprehensive andfair.
The libertarian press speaks to both government sources and ordinary citizens
in search for answers.
The
Communist or Social Responsibility Theory of the press was born from Carl Max’s
Communism. Supporting the socialist form of government, the media is used as a
government tool. No questions are asked of government activities and
communication is one-sided as message isconstantly carried from the governmentto
the people. The media under this system is owned and controlled by the state,
and its main purposes are to inform, to educate and sell.
The
fourth theory of the press is the soviet totalitarian which developed in the Soviet
Union and seeks to continue the dictatorship of the Soviet Socialist System.
The
Development Communication theory is indeed clearly different from the four
earlier theories.This theory has development at the core of its structuring.The
modern society by which it arose has characteristics distinctive from the
previous era that gave birth to the previous theories. The modern society is
wider, more complicated and includes more players than the decades before its
era.Among other unique characteristics, its definitions of development are more
complex and it features strong change ethics.From social change through
education to politics, the development journalist must serve purposive
information that ultimately bridges the gap of underdevelopment. “Because the
problem of underdeveloped region was believed to be an information problem,
media communications was presented as the instrument that would lead directly
and play a central role to solve it.”Itana, 2014.
A
major distinction between the development communication theory and the earlier
theories are the three main features on which it is anchored:
·
Development
Communication is purposive communication, value-laden and pragmatic
·
It
is goal-oriented
·
In
addition to its economic goals, it is social, political, cultural and also
about moral values.
It
is important to note that the four earlier theories had characteristics that
were unique to each of them. However, none focused on the purpose of driving
change quite as closely as Development Communication does.Besides, while the
liberal theory would be closest in practice to Development Communication, it is
not as development oriented in its reportage, a feature (or lack of it) that
renders it a lesser player in the development of any nation.
A
typical development journalist in the area of education for instance, may
follow developments in the education sector of his or her country in the bid to
influence quality by questioning policies, following progress, speaking to
teachers and school children aside leaders and policy makers and following up
on response after publication. This will probably be repeated until there are
real signs of development in the sector.In the totalitarian theory which is the
biggest opposition to development communication, questions of the relevance of
policies and progress will dare not be asked. The libertarian journalist who is
the closest in likeness to the development journalistis likely to report on
activities in the education sector and may ask some questions but not with the
same intensity and demand for answers as the development journalist would.
Development
Communication has what is called “the five Is”. They are: Inform, Instruct,
Inspire, Insist and Involve”. These are an emphasis on the citizen-friendly methods
of development communication in its approach towards reporting for change.
Inform the public, instruct the public on ways to achieve desired development
by way of influence, inspire the public to be involved and insist on their
involvement.
It
is not surprising therefore, that Development Communication would be thought of
as superior in the dialectical debate concerning the five theories of the
press.
SOURCES
·
The Characteristics of Development Paradigms:
Modernization, Dependency, & Multiplicity. AmeyuEtana, 2014 Addis Ababa
University, Ethiopia
