The Media and Democracy
Democracy is impossible without free press. This is what media theoreticians, political scientists and commentators tell us. But this consensus brings up new questions: what kind of free press does democracy need, and why does it need it?
Media has its vital political, social, economic and cultural tasks to implement in a modern society. It is the main mediator of information and opinions, and as such, it is the key to the hearts of the participating and self-governing body of citizens. Democracy implies a media system that offers a wide spectrum of information, opinions and analyses on important issues to the citizens, and reflects differences found in society. In Estonia, the liberal model of publicity does not work; the activity of journalistic publications is not in compliance with the democratic principles, which is the foundation of the Estonian constitutional system. In such a situation, the competition among coverage of current affairs needs the support and guarantee from the institutions of a state of law.