Media, Print

The print media have long been key players in politics. Newspapers, periodicals, and individually produced publications engage the public and elites by providing information and analyses. In the process, they influence the decisions and perceptions of the entire range of political actors. The print media and their journalists and editors are engaged in all aspects of the political process, and the political institutions and players are occupied, in different ways, in determining what appears in the media. The print media are also an economic force in societies, although they account for only a small percentage of media usage even in highly literate and wealthy countries. In this entry, their more general political impact and their role in different types of political systems are discussed.

The role of the print media in politics is determined by the political system in which they work, the initial ways in which the press worked in that system, the available technology, and the demographic and economic character of the state's population. That role has changed as new broadcasting technologies have developed. But the print media remain paramount in local news as well as in significant national discussions. They are also more likely than broadcast media to be focused on specific groups rather than aimed at a general audience. Within the print media, there are clear differences between media focused on drawing a mass readership and media aimed at the educated and the affluent. It is in the print media that the focus on the latter is most feasible and common, while the mass audience has shifted predominantly to television as its source of information and entertainment.

The print media, as they are traditionally known, normally consist of newspapers and periodicals, although other print media such as books and flyers also have played a role in politics. The traditional print media are produced by a staff of journalists and editors, who usually develop, edit, and place the articles on various issues in the publication and put it together. In addition, to reach a large audience, printing equipment and distribution channels are needed. To provide ongoing national and international information, most print media rely not only on their own staff but also on outside contributors and wire services, for instance, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) or Agence France Press, which are public, and private agencies such as Associated Press. The funding this requires ties the media to a sponsoring organization, to the state, or to private owners, to whom the print media are to give their profits. The simplicity of the production of the most basic print media also has allowed its use by opponents of a regime more readily than radio or television. Finally, in areas where the literacy level is low, print media are used to present images to the population and also as ways to increase literacy and, in turn, activate citizens.

The development of technology has been significant in the transformation of the print media in the political and social arena. Initially, getting information and then producing and distributing print media were very slow processes. As a result, they were used only for commercial purposes, to list the dates ships were due and their cargo, or to present ideas. After the telegraph was invented, the speed with which information could be transferred began to increase exponentially. Developments in photography and in printing technology also brought events and images to audiences increasingly rapidly and with greater emotional impact. Consequently, the role of the print media shifted from announcing what was planned to reporting on events that had happened and engaging people's interest.

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