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Stephanie Calacino
Professor Jason Allen
Intro to Mass Communications
Due August 8, 2015
The Press Theory in News Media
As the Press has expanded the news delivery channel from newspapers, radio, TV, and
now to online websites, it has always followed a specific structure in what it delivers and how
the media world operates. It is important to note that the press structure in the United States
follows the libertarian theory, one of the four theories of the press that explains the model of the
press in society - the form of the press and what role it has in society. The libertarian theory is
defined as [an] emphasis on modern, political, and social claims as well as indication of the issue
as a matter for individuals or in short associated with individual and social action (Ostini, &
Ostini, 2002, p. 51). These features include the freedom of the press, lack of state control, the
press running on the free market, and the liberal values and standards of journalists. By looking
at the content, regulation, welfare and values of the news, it is apparent that the news in the
United States follows the libertarian theory because the public relies on the news to learn about
what is happening and how it will affect them.
The first sign that the news media in the United States coincides with the libertarian theory
consists in the content and opinion of the various articles published in the news. As stated in a
book by several authors about the research of media, democracy, and participation libertarian is
an opening for personal freedom (Carpentier, Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt, Nordenstreng,
Hartmann, Vihalemm, & Cammaerts, 2006, p. 40). The libertarian theory includes any type of
content that elevates the principle of freedom of expression to the highest point in the hierarchy
of values that the media are expected to uphold (Carpentier et al, 2006, p.41). The content in the
United States news or articles can be of any subject the journalist would like to express and the
media is set to keep that personal freedom above all reason. Another way to describe it is, Four
Theories and classical liberalism assume that we have freedom of the press if we are free to
discuss political matters in print without state suppression (Nerone, 1995: 22) (Carpentier et al,
2006, p. 37). An example of this can be taken from the events after 9/11, in which journalists
were publishing articles criticizing the Presidents actions and other journalists were praising the

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President for his actions and willing to follow him (Ackerman & Hart, 2001). In the news media,
journalists, or anyone who wants to voice their opinion, can express themselves and publish what
they want, without being censored by state or government entities.
Although the press is for individual freedom, journalists in this type of press operate in a
certain manner and portray specific values. These manners and values include supporting social
change and reform, individualism, competition, and free speech (McQuail, 1994) (Ostini, 2002,
p. 47). They also adhere strongly to their own worldview, professional codes, and their own
ethical and professional standards as well an innate distrust of the role of government and the
state (Ostini, 2002, p. 42, 47). This is evident in an article titled Wholl Unplug the Media?
Stay Tuned, that fights for media reform and change in the 21st century with the election of
2008.
But above all, we will need the right media reform movementone that is aggressive in its
demands regardless of who sits in the White House, savvy in its approach to the FCC and
Congressional committees, bipartisan and determined to build broad coalitions, and
focused not just on playing defense but on shaping popular media for the twenty-first
century. (Nichols, & McChesney, 2008)
As the quote elaborates, these journalists are supporting social change and reform that adhere
strongly to their own worldview of journalism and the distrust of the governments role. The
journalists in the press display the liberal manners and values necessary for the libertarian theory.
Another example includes a story that investigated a bank that would not give out loans to black
neighborhoods, including the black middle class families (Sanders, Baker, Terkel, & Copyright
Collection (Library of Congress), 1996, 2:22-4:10). The journalist was looking for social change
and reform and by documenting it, brought it to the attention of others. Journalists, especially in
the US, exhibit liberal values and standards that follow the libertarian theory, thus making the
news media, or press, liberally structured.
Along with the liberal content involved with the news media in the United States, it is
important to consider who controls and monitors this media. In the libertarian model, the media
is regulated by the free market as the United States is a pluralist democracythat gives priority
to individual freedom [and] looks to the market as the main engine of welfare, and prefers to
restrict the role of the state to what is necessary for the orderly running of a free market society
(Carpentier et al, 2006, p. 43). This type of democracy resembles the libertarian theory by

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allowing the individual freedom of the press and preventing any state or governmental entity to
restrict anything. This also leads to the fact that the press always takes on the form and
coloration of the social and political structures within which it operates (Siebert et al., l956: 1
2) (Carpentier et al, 2006, p. 36). The libertarian model uses the free market for welfare, which
is evident by the fact that corporations and businesses are integrated with U.S. media by their
concentration in media outlets (Ostini, 2002, p. 142). Another example is in the documentary
Fear and Favor in the Newsroom, Terkel states Newspapers earn 75 percent of their revenues
from ads. And for broadcast outlets, its 100 percent (Sanders, Baker, 1996, 30:08). As
companies and businesses advertise, the news media whether that is in print or on TV, earn
revenue. With this revenue, the news media is able to afford their costs and continue reporting,
which is why and how this type of press is controlled by the free market.
In conclusion, the news media in the United States falls into the libertarian theory that
holds freedom of the press and social reform in high standards. One of the highlights of the
libertarian theory and thus the press in the United States is the freedom of the press without
restrictions set by state or government bodies. More highlights include the liberal values that the
journalists have and their passion for free speech while adhering to a professional, and ethical,
code. Another feature of the libertarian theory that the United States has is the ownership and
control over the press. The government, state or federal, does not have control of the press, but
because this type of press runs on the free market, ownership and revenues comes in the forms of
businesses and companies that want to advertise. By looking at the content, regulation, welfare
and values of the news, it is apparent that the news in the United States follows the libertarian
theory because the public relies on the news to learn about what is happening and how it will
affect them.

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References
Ackerman, S., & Hart, P. (2001, November 1). Patriotism and Censorship. FAIR.
Carpentier, N., Pruulmann-Vengerfeldt, P., Nordenstreng, K., Hartmann, M., Vihalemm, P., &
Cammaerts, B. (2006). Researching media, democracy and participation: the intellectual
work of the 2006 European media and communication doctoral summer school. Tartu
University Press.
Knefel, M. (2015, July 10). When Candidates Talk Education, Media Rarely Go Beyond
Buzzwords. FAIR.
Nichols, J., & McChesney, R. W. (2008, May 29). Wholl Unplug Big Media? Stay Tuned. The
Nation.
Ostini, J., & Ostini, A. Y. (2002). Beyond the four theories of the press: A new model of national
media systems. Mass Communication and Society, 5(1), 41-56.
Sanders, B., Baker, R., Terkel, S., & Copyright Collection (Library of Congress). (1996). Fear
and favor in the newsroom. United States: KTEH.