Comparative Models of Journalism

There is a long tradition in journalism studies scholarship of comparing the ways in which journalism is practiced in different contemporary societies. Such work usually combines elements of ideology or norms with consideration of legal or political traditions and economic arrangements. In the 20th century, comparative studies were deeply influenced by modernization narratives and Cold War politics. In recent years, studies of national systems replaced more normatively inflected studies and have in turn begun to be displaced by considerations of global systems and infrastructures. At the same time, new models of journalism have flourished in the new technological ecosystem, complicating comparative frameworks. This entry discusses the development of comparative models of journalism, including the influential Four Theories of the Press and subsequent models that grew ...