Four theories of the press

Fredrick S. Siebert 1963 presenteed the four theories of the press to clarify the link between mass media and the political society.

Authoritarian Theory....

• Direct government control of the mass media
• Like North Korea
• Government may punish anyone who questions the states ideology
• Government is always right
• Foreign media isn't allowed if it makes this country a fool

Libertarian theory

• Idea that the individual should be free to publish what they want
• Attacks on the government policies are fully accepted and even encouraged
• no restrictions on import or export
• media professionals have full autonomy within the media organization

The Soviet theory

closely tied to a specific ideology-the communist

Media organisations in this system are not intended to be privately owned and are to serve the interests of the working class 

Both the soviet and the authoritarian acknowledge the government as superior to the media institutions but the mass media in the soviet model are expected to be self regulatory with regard to the content of their messages 

The soviet theory differs from the authoritarian theory in that the media organisations have a certain responsibility to meet the wishes of their audience


The social responsibility theory 

• The media has certain obligations to society:
  Informativeness 
  Truth
  Accuracy
  Objectivity
  Balance
  
  
  Media as a whole is pluralizes, indicating a reflection of the diversity of society as well as access to various points of view 
  Provide an entrance to different mass media for minority groups 
  Journalist is accountable to his audience as well as to the government