Question 1:What are the four theories of press? Explain briefy aboutall of them. Inwhat systemthe Bangladesh media falls? Give your arguments withexamples.Answer:Four Theories of the Press: Normative theories often alled western theories of mass media were !rstproposed by "red #iebert$%iretor of the #hool of &ournalism and'ommuniationsatthe(niversityofIllinois$)heodore*eterson$+ssoiate*rofessor of &ournalism and 'ommuniations at the (niversity of Illinois andWilbur #hrammformer %ean of the 'ommuniations %ivision of the(niversity of Illinois$ *rofessor of &ournalism and 'ommuniations at #tanford(niversity in their boo, alled -"our )heories of the *ress. during the oldwar /01234. Normative theories are strain of ideology$ whih desribes theideal settings for media systemto be strutured and operated. )hesetheories usually foused in the relationship between press and thegovernment than that of the relationship between audiene and press. )hesetheories are more onerned about the ownership of the media and ontrolsover the press or media in the ountry. "our theories main of the press arethe normative theories that derived from observations and not from testingof hypotheses.)he four theories of press are5 (1) Authoritarian Theory5 )he +uthoritarian )heory was developed in the late 6enaissane period thatdesribesthepressandommuniationssystemtobeontrolledbythegoverning elite$ authorities or infuential bureaurats. +uthoritarians ontrolthe media to refrain people from any form of ommuniation$ information ornewstoholdtheir power andontrol. *ressisusedasaninstrument to0restore and enhane the ruler7s power in the ountry rather helping peoplewith information or news. )he authorities have all rights to permit any mediaand ontrol it by providing liense and ma,e ertain ensorship. If any mediaviolate the government or authority$ the authority an anel the liense andrevo,e it. )he governments have all right to restrit the press to express anysensitive issues that is harmful for theauthority often in thenameofmaintaining peae and seurity of the nation. )he power of ensorship oftenused as suppressive instrument to avoid any threat to the ruling authority. (2) Libertarian Theory: )he 8ibertarian )heory$ one of the four -Normative )heories of *ress. thatemerged from the thoughts of sholars li,e 9ilton$ 8o,e$ 9ill$ and &e:ersonin 03th entury in Europe.)hey pereived that the searh for truth is one ofman;s natural rights. +ording to this theory people are rational and theirrational thoughts lead them to !nd out what are good and bad It emphasith entury. )hird world nations have usedthistheorywhihisassoiatedwiththe-'ommissionof the"reedomof*ress.. *ure libertarianism has been desribed as anti?uated$ out dated andobsoleteintheboo, -"our theories of *ress. by #iebert$ *eterson and=#hramm. )his theoryapproves freepress without ensorship. @owever$publipanel andisussontentofthepressandobligationderivedfrompubli interfereneor professional disourseshouldberespetedbythemedia$ it says. )he theory gives media freedom in one hand and the externalontrols inother handput thistheorybetweenauthoritariantheoryandlibertarian theory. (") So#iet $ommunist Theory% So#iet Totalitarian Theory: )he#oviet (nionwas reformedwithnewpolitial systembasedonthe9arxistA8eninist ideology after the010Bth revolution. )he newly formedommunist party lead by 8enin was interested in the media that serves tothewelfareof wor,inglass. )hegovernment underta,esontrol of theentire media and ommuniation to serve wor,ing lasses and their interest. )herefore$ a theory was generated in the #oviet (nion with the thoughts of9arx$ 8enin and #talin with mixture of @egel ideology is ,nown as the #oviet'ommunist)heoryor#oviet)otalitarian)heory. )hisisbelievedtobeanexpanded and little positive version of the +uthoritarian )heory. It is said thatsimilartheorywasfollowedby+dolf @itler7sNaBA=>>D. %uring the tenure of allgovernments there have been allegations of murder$ torture and intimidationof Eournalists by party loyalists in one form or the other. )he media laws and regulations from the British 'olonial period have beenenatedtourbthefreedomof expressionof people. #everal lawsthatinludethe*rinting*ressesand*ubliation+t/***+401BC$ the'odeof'riminal *roedure$ 0D1D$ the FGial #erets +t of 01=C$ the #peial *owers+t of 01BH$ the Newsprint 'ontrol Frder of 01BH$ the *ost FGe +t of 0D31$the %ramati *erformane +t of 0DB3$ the 'ontempt of 'ourt +t of 01=3$the "oreign 6elations +t of 01C=$ the 'ensorship of "ilm +t of 013C$ the#peial *owers+t 01BHandreentlythe)eleommuniations+t =>>0$shows how muh has been done to restrit the media$ press and freedom ofspeeh or expression and may be good examples of +uthoritarian attitudetoward media.6epressionof themediahasvariedfrombanningertainpubliationsforextended periods of time to oGially pressuring publishers to regulate theontent of news artiles. "or example$ the EnglishAlanguage BangladeshFbserver wasbannedfor threemonthsin01DB$ andthewee,ly BanglarBani /Bengal;s 9essage4 was banned through muh of 01DB and 01DD. In &anuary$ the government shut down a proAopposition newspaper$ ausingit of fabriating information. In +pril last year$ polie sealed o: the printingHpress of another proAopposition newspaper alled Amar Desh$ shortly afterarresting its editor 9ahmudur 6ahman$ a riti of the ruling +wami 8eague. +month later$ the government losed two television stations$ harging themwith initing violene. /#IE% J+IN +8A9+@9FF%$Bangladeshi GovernmentProposes Tighter Controls of Courts and Media$ )he Wall #treet &ournal dated#ep. D$ =>0C49oreover$ the National Broadast *oliyA=>0H is the most reent mehanismbelievedtourbthefreedommediafurther ishighlyondemnedbythemedia personnel and ivil soiety. In addition$ to the restrition by law$ ensorship and liensing ontrol$&ournalistsK mediapersonnel inBangladeshatall timeshavehadtowor,within ative state intimidation and legal ation. With regard to the new media$ the Bangladeshi government has also tried tomonitor and ensor these tools in various ways. *utting down restrition touAtube though for a short period of time on the ground of hurting religiousfeelings an be one of the examples of ontrolling the new media. )he above arguments$ brief analysis and examples learly show that theBangladesh media falls within the +uthoritarian system and theory.2eferences: 0. http5KKommuniationtheory.orgKnormativeAtheoryAfourAtheoriesAofAtheApressK (Down loaded on 13 Novemer !"1#$=. http5KKommuniationtheory.orgKauthoritarianAtheoryK (Down loaded on 13 Novemer !"1#$C. http5KKommuniationtheory.orgKlibertarianAtheoryK (Down loaded on 13 Novemer !"1#$H. http5KKommuniationtheory.orgKsoialAresponsibilityAtheoryK (Down loaded on 13 Novemer !"1#$2. http5KKommuniationtheory.orgKsovietAmediaAtheoryK (Down loaded on 13 Novemer !"1#$3. http5KKprimenews.om.bdKenglishK=>0HK>DK>DKtibAunilateralAimpositionAofApoliiesAtoAontrolAmediaAounterprodutive/Down loaded on 1# Novemer !"1#$. B. #IE% J+IN +8A9+@9FF%$ Bangladeshi Government Proposes Tighter Controls of Courts and Media$ )he Wall #treet &ournal dated #ep. D$ =>0C4. http5KKonline.wsE.omKartilesKbangladeshiAgovernmentAproposesAtighterAontrolsAofAourtsAmedia (Down %oaded on 13 Novemer !"1#$ D. # 9 #@+9EE9 6EJ+& Media Governan'e in Bangladesh( )hetori' and )ealit* of Broad'asting Poli'*& the %aily #tar /Lolume *+ Issue ,- )ay =>0=. http5KKarhive.thedailystar.netKforumK=>0=K9ayKmedia.htm (Down loaded on 13 Novemer !"1#$ 3B