Press Freedom And Economic Freedom, Harmony And Absurd

In market economy, separating the editing sector from the management in news media, in an attempt to safeguard the objectivity, impartiality, and independence of news items, is a major task for journalism across the world. This separation, favored particularly in the United States, is referred to as "the Church" (editing sector) not to be interfered by "the State" (management) in terms of all affairs of the former.This dissertation regards the separation between the editing sector and the management as an ideal institution. With the American journalism as the object of study, the related institution theories and the media dependence theory as the reference point, this thesis traces the root of this institution by adopting a history/commentary approach. It also traces its socio-historic process, its institutional and cultural backgrounds and related institutional guarantee, its deficiency in the system of market economy, and its institutional transformation since 1980s.The main argument of this paper is: A dialectical relationship of harmony and dilemma exists in the relationship between freedom of economy and freedom of press. As its concretized form in America, the separation system makes sure the specific functioning of journalism within the American socio-political institution. It is also an institution and represents a spontaneous order reached through negotiation and compromise between related interest groups such as the government, media owner, advertiser, media practitioners (media critics included), and the public sharing the same mainstream ideology.The Introduction and Chapter One put forth the problems to be solved in this paper and its theoretical framework. In the United States, the separation of the editing sector from the management enjoys a long history, but has been challenged ever since the 1980s. It has also been a strongly promoted institution by the Chinese government and some elite media organizations since China's media reform. In both countries, however, the intrinsic logic and characteristics of this institution has not yet to be noted and studied by the journalist academia. In light of this situation, this paper aims at a re-integration and synthesis of the related theories from economics, sociology, politics, journalism, and the media dependence theory. Through this effort, a new perspective to observe and study the American journalism will be attained, as well as a valuable reference framework to better understand the Chinese journalism during the time of media reform.Chapter Two to Chapter Six make the analysis of the historical background. Thispart traces back to the root and development, in an American setting, of its newspaper industry's popularization, monopolization, conglomeration, as well as advertising, journalism professionalism, journalism objectivity , social responsibilities theory, and the related government regulations. This is an attempt to demonstrate the socio-political and economic process that gave birth to and fostered the separation institution, in a historical context of journalism's related structural category. In this part, Chapter Two focuses on the 1787 Constitution and the First Amendment and reveals the development of newspaper industry and the historical struggle between different groups, the process of institutionalization and legitimization of freedom of economy, freedom of press, and casts back to the politico-economic environment. Chapter Three argues that the transformation from party newspaper to "penny newspaper" has enabled the newspaper industry to become a part of the socio-economic system, independent in terms of economic sources and political stand. This is when the dilemma of journalism as both a profession and a business initiated and the system of separation management from the editing sector emerged. Chapter Four analyzes that, as the individual journalism is transformed into its new pattern, the interaction between advertising and journalism leads to institutionalization, which has aroused the concern and criticism by the entire society. Journalism then became specialized, resulting in the separation system and the safeguard system for journalistic autonomy. Chapter Five observes mainly the impact of Great Depression, warfare, and the Cold War on media. A combination of the factors like the formation of objectivity ideals, the argument of social responsibilities, the institutionalization of National News Council, and the regulation of media monopoly by the government has made the separation system an institution. Chapter Six analyzes the change in the concept of economic freedom and its impact on news production, journalism professionalism, and the related separation system. As a result, freedom of press is faced with a new challenge as the democratic function of journalism is weakened while profitability is emphasized.Chapter Seven and Eight carry out the logical analysis. Based on an analysis of related factors in the historical context, the intrinsic logics and its paradox within the private journalism sector in the United States are studied in detail. Therefore, the politico-economic characteristics and cultural essence of the separation system becomes clear and its intrinsic deficiency is explained. Economically, the private mode of American newspaper industry ever since its birth is congruent with the dependence of social decision-making on the public products of information and opinions, as well as with the need for efficiency of this public product. A political...