Democracy’s Hiccups

Abstract

Abstract Chapter 5 puts forward specific political and development-related events, processes, or structures that journalists say impact their freedoms and can be used to understand media systems in developing nations from a more historically and contextually informed view: distance from conflict, political benchmarks (specifically, who is in office and for how long, elections and their aftermath, political and tribal influences on media ownership, and how laws are interpreted and enforced), international linkages, and the strength of a country’s civil society (including nongovernmental organizations, social norms, and journalism cultures). While these factors are certainly not the only elements that can influence mediascapes in varying countries, this list can be understood as a starting point for nuanced understanding and theorizing about press freedom environments operating within varying political systems.