Media Capture

Different from harsh censorship and state repression, media capture is a particular form of soft and indirect control of news outlets exercised by a variety of possible vested interests, including governments, corporate owners, advertisers, and digital platforms. This entry defines media capture as a political communication process with negative consequences for equality, democracy, and journalistic quality. It describes the main indicators that help identify captive media systems across different political regimes and world regions. It also discusses the main causes and types of media capture according to various contextual factors. Finally, it situates the phenomenon within the current literature, examining overarching debates on how to solve this problem in democratic and transitional regimes.