Media masowe a demokracja - ujęcie teoretyczne

Abstract

The article concentrates on two existing attitudes in analyzing mutual relations between democracy and mass media. The first one considers the activity of mass media to be the main causative factor in a development of modern democracy. Terms such as media democracy, digital democracy or Internet democracy reflect this way of thinking. The second stance stresses functional meaning of media for implementing democratic ideas and values, especially such as freedom, equality and control. However, in both these stances there is one specific shared element – mass media are seen as an institution that activates the society, creating space for wide public debate and sharing various opinions, expressing interests or needs, which is especially important for the concept of deliberative democracy.