Local Media and Democracy in the Region of Mandal
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Local Media and Democracy in the Region of Mandal A qualitative inquiry into the democratic situation in the municipalities of Åseral, Audnedal, Lindesnes, Marnardal and Mandal Daniel Haraldsson Nilsen Veileder: Jan Thorsvik Masteroppgaven er gjennomført som ledd i utdanningen ved Universitetet i Agder og er godkjent som del av denne utdanningen. Denne godkjenningen innebærer ikke at universitetet innestår for de metoder som er anvendt og de konklusjoner som er trukket. Universitetet i Agder, [2014] Fakultet for [Samfunnsvitenskap] Institutt for [Statsvitenskap og ledelsesfag ] 1 Acknowledgements First and foremost I want to personally thank my Master and Lord, Yeshua Hamashiach! Secondly I want to thank all of my respondents for their vital contribution to my research. I could never reach my conclusions without them. Interviewing them was an enriching experience and gave me key insight into the world of local politics and media. Thirdly I want to express an attitude of gratitude to Jan Thorsvik for his advice and counsels. In addition to him I want to thank Ania Mendoz and Linn Foyn for their time and energy spent helping me finish my thesis. I cannot thank them enough for their contribution! Finally I want to thank all those who have fasted and prayed for me during this time. I want to thank my earthly father and mother, Patrick Eliot (my mentor) and all in fellowship of the saints. 2 Master thesis Innhold Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................. 2 Master thesis ........................................................................................................................................... 3 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.2 Defining power .......................................................................................................................... 5 2. History ....................................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Lindesnes’ history ................................................................................................................. 13 The newspapers during WW2 ....................................................................................................... 19 2.3 Persons of interest................................................................................................................... 21 2.4 Competitors ............................................................................................................................. 23 2.5 Today’s situation ..................................................................................................................... 26 3. Theory ........................................................................................................................................ 27 3.1 What is democracy on a municipal level? ............................................................................... 28 3.2 The evolution of democracy .................................................................................................... 38 3.3 Democratic ideals of the news media ...................................................................................... 47 3.4 Political communication .......................................................................................................... 49 3.5 Today’s media .......................................................................................................................... 50 3.6 The two driving forces for change ........................................................................................... 56 4. Methodology and ethics ................................................................................................................ 60 4.1 Overarching concerns related to research .............................................................................. 60 4.2 Qualitative approach ............................................................................................................... 62 5. Findings .......................................................................................................................................... 77 6. Discussion .................................................................................................................................... 118 6.1 Democratic participation ....................................................................................................... 118 6.2 Enlightened electorate ........................................................................................................... 122 6.3 The local media’s active role in the local community ........................................................... 127 6.4 The social media’s role .......................................................................................................... 134 7. Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 139 References ....................................................................................................................................... 141 3 1. Introduction Research Question Do the local media in the region of Mandal fulfill their democratic role/function in the local community according to the local politicians? 1.1 Justification and explanation for my investigation The reasons for this thesis and research question are many. Most Norwegians identify stronger with their place of birth and upbringing than with the nation state or region. They perceive their municipality as a provider of different welfare services, such as education, healthcare and work. Local residents are governed by ordinary people, familiar faces and well known personalities in their local community. In small geographically defined communities, as in the region of Mandal1, we see democracy on a micro level. This is not insignificant because many of the political decisions that affect you and me are not made in the capital of Oslo, but in local municipal councils. Most people relate to their municipality as a place of identity, even more than their nationality. Democracy necessitates an electorate and the electorate determines the political direction of the future. Vital to the health of local democracy is the “fourth estate”, as Edmund Burke labelled it, or better known as the news media. In today’s society we walk around with media created images of reality. This applies to the local level as well. The local heroes and celebrities are many times constructions of the local media. This thesis seeks to uncover the perceptions of the local politicians towards the media, with an emphasis on a local newspaper called Lindesnes. Is this particular newspaper fulfilling its obligation as a vital part in the symbiotic relationship between the local politicians and the media? If yes, to what degree does it fulfill its role? In order to understand this we need a historical background on which we can build on. Understanding the relationships in the past may shed some light on why things are as they are today. In addition I will utilize democratic theories to illuminate the main facts and ideals of what a democracy is, both on a local level and an abstract level. I will utilize media theories and related theories to explain the 1 Some people refer to the region of Mandal as “the Region of Lindesnes”, but I will throughout the text refer to it as the region of Mandal. 4 connection between the local politicians and the media. The theories are necessary because they show us what the media is, what an ideal media should do, what democracy should include, what the media is and the forces that shape the society we live in It does not only affect us, but more importantly the local politicians as well. I will throughout the text refer to the rich history of Lindesnes as it allows for comparisons and serves as a source for examples to exemplify certain points and to illustrate certain ideals and ideas. Therefore it is a paramount part of the thesis. 1.2 Defining power In a local democracy there are several actors who struggle for control and power. This is essentially why we have a democracy and not totalitarianism. Democracy is essentially a struggle for power between different groups and individuals; it is ultimately just another method of legitimizing the use of power. The concept of power is vital to the understanding of local democracy. Different groups in the region of Mandal are striving for power and the media play an important role shaping how the municipal council is organized politically. The power of the media is essential to understand how the local politicians think about the local news media. Nonetheless, first we need to understand what power really is. There are several definitions of the word power. To understand this elusive concept I will give a few definitions of the word and concepts related to this word. I will also highlight similarities and illuminate the differences among and between them. In the book “Power and Poverty” Peter Bachrach and Morton S. Baratz examine three concepts related to the concept of power: Decisions, decisionless decisions and nondecsions(Bachrach & Baratz, 1970). They divided the concept of power into two theoretical camps. The first one they called the pluralist camp, which consisted