Master and PhD Students from Africa attended the DAAD-funded Summer School "Contested Governance" at the Arnold-Bersträsser-Institut in Freiburg. Judith Pies talked with them about the German media system and how it interrelates with governance.
One of the main normative functions of media in a democracy is to contribute to forming opinions among citizens. (Foto: Screenshot from the Lecture-PPT)
What are the normative functions of media in a democracy? Which pre-conditions are important to fulfill these functions? And how does it actually work in practice? These were the questions Judith Pies glanced at in her lecture on "Media in a Democracy: The German Media System in a Comparative Perspecitve." The lecture was part of the DAAD-funded Summer School "Contested Governance", which was organized by the Arnold-Bersträsser-Institut in Freiburg.
First, Judith Pies introduced the German media system from a comparative perspective, tackeling the important role newspapers have been playing for forming the public opinion, the regional organization of news media and the strong public broadcasting system. Then, she encouraged the summer school participants to talk about the media in their home countries.
Coming mainly from countries in transitions they intensively discussed relations between social media and legacy media, journalists' independence and receipients' responsibility.
Pies, Judith (2019) Media in a Democracy: The German Media System in a Comparative Perspective, Lecture held at the DAAD-funded Summer School "Contested Governance" at the Arnold-Bersträsser-Institut in Freiburg. September 9th, 2019, Freiburg (Germany).