1. Key Dimensions of the Comparative Media Systems Approach
Hallin and Mancini proposed a series of media and politics variables to
categorize different media and political systems in Western societies. As
for comparative dimensions of political systems, they considered the five
dimensions: (a) political history, (b) role of the state, (c) consensus v.
majoritarian government, (d) individual v. organized pluralism, and (e)
development of rational-legal authority. Though these system characteristics
drawn from the history of Western countries, they are also highly illuminating
when applied to Western societies. They provide a comparison point against
which experiences and institutions of non-Western countries are posed to
reveal systematic differences between Western and non-Western democratic
political systems. The five dimensions do not weigh the same when applied to
the countries in democratization. For example, the historical experiences of
democratization, which is a part of the dimension of political history together
with the level of pluralism in Hallin and Mancini’s specification, stood out a
critical factor that determines the relationship among other dimensions in
political system. That is, depending on the natures of democratic transition
and consolidation, roles of the state, level of pluralism, and rational legal
authority diverge into many different kinds of inter-relations, which do not
allow a generalization of Hallin and Mancini’s layout.