"Even if markets properly provide for people’s desires or preferences for most products, Part I of this book shows that unique aspects of media products systematically cause markets to fail in respect to them. Part II shows that four prominent, but different, theories of democracy lead to different conceptions of good journalistic practice, good media policy, and proper constitutional principles. While implicitly favoring a theory of “complex democracy,” Part II makes it clear that the choice among democratic theories is crucial for understanding what should be meant by a free press. Part III explores one currently controversial issue – international free trade in media products. Contrary to the American negotiating position relating to media products, both economic and democratic theory justify deviations from free trade." (Publisher description)
I. SERVING AUDIENCES, 1
1 Not Toasters: The Special Nature of Media Products, 7
2 Public Goods and Monopolistic Competition, 20
3 The Problem of Externalities, 41
4 The Market as a Measure of Preferences, 63
5 Where To? Policy Responses, 96
II. SERVING CITIZENS, 123
6 Different Democracies and Their Media, 129
7 Journalistic Ideals, 154
8 Fears and Responsive Policies, 164
9 Constitutional Implications, 193
III. AN ILLUSTRATION: INTERNATIONAL TRADE, 215
10 Trade and Economics, 222
11 Trade, Culture, and Democracy, 245
CONCLUSION, 277
Postscript: The Internet and Digital Technologies, 285