For functioning well, the media need democracy as much as democracy needs the media. This is the starting point of this analysis of the delicate relation between the news media and democracy which is well defined in constitutional terms both in the European Convention on Human Rights and in national legislation. The relation is best described as social contract - to the benefit of freedom of speech and editorial independence, but also to sound governance of the state and other powerholders in society. Notably, different models of democracy correspond to different roles of the media. In any case, however, media policy is requested to respect media freedom. The Internet, as well as social and networked media require policy answers to challenges such as data protection, content blocking and surveillance. The authors conclude that media policy tools need to be developed along the all-digital media future.

Josef Trappel is Professor for media policy and media economics and Head of the Department for Communication Studies at the University of Salzburg. His scientific and research work concentrates on media and democracy, changes in mass media structures and their implications on mass communication, digitization and innovation, national and international media policy and media economics. He is the convenor of the Euromedia Research Group (with Werner A. Meier) and Director of the Erasmus+ Joint Master Programme Digital Communication Leadership. Recent publications include European Media in Crisis: Values, Risks and Policies (Routledge, 2015), The Media for Democracy Monitor (Nordicom, 2011), Media in Europe Today (Intellect, 2011).