Freedom of the media

Andrej G. Richter, Krisztina Rozgonyi, Joan Barata Mir and Monroe Edwin Price

Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, 2026, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-23

Abstract: This paper revisits the concept of freedom of the media in the context of digital societies. It distinguishes between freedom of the media as an individual human right and media freedom as an institutional guarantee of autonomy and accountability, showing how both together sustain informed citizenship and democratic deliberation. The analysis advances a systemic understanding of freedom of the media that integrates epistemic and normative dimensions, connecting human rights protection with governance design in digital communication environments. Drawing on the notions of epistemic power and epistemic welfare, the paper conceptualises platforms and AI systems as emerging epistemic institutions whose dual role-empowering and dominating-requires new accountability frameworks to protect individuals' epistemic agency. By situating freedom of the media within the digital public sphere, the paper demonstrates how the concept can evolve to address the challenges of technological mediation, platform power, and democratic resilience.

Keywords: Freedom of the media; Media freedom; Epistemic power; Digital governance; Democratic participation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:iprjir:343601

DOI: 10.14763/2026.2.2103

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