Page 200 - Comparing Media Systems THREE MODELS OF MEDIA AND POLITICS
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The Three Models
Figure 6.1 Left-Right Positions of German and Swedish Media.
mentioned in the survey between the Republican and Democratic par-
ties. This fact of external pluralism in the press remains significant across
the region, at least among national papers. Local papers are much more
likely to be catchall papers avoiding clear political tendencies. Distinct
political tendencies coexist with a new emphasis on internal pluralism –
each paper, that is, will report the views of the full range of major parties.
Political tendencies are also more amorphous ideologically than in the
past, and rarely take the form of narrow identification with single parties.
But ideological tendencies do still exist. Van der Eijk (2000: 312, 319),
for instance, writes about the Netherlands:
As a direct result of their loss of zuil [pillar] identity [newspapers]
graduallyredefinedtheirsubstantiveprofiles,aprocessthatinsome
instances resulted in substantive distinctiveness and in others in
indistinct “catchallism.” Most national papers opted for distinc-
tiveness order to appeal to audiences differentiated along left-right
and lifestyle lines.... Trouw, for example, is clearly progressive
Christian in character and makes much of its sympathy for Third
World causes, environmental protection and progressive theology.
De Telegraaf, by contrast, is socially and politically more conserva-
tive in tone, even evincing a certain dislike for all political parties
andtheirstrategicandtacticalmaneuvering.Ofthenationaldailies,
the Volkskrant is most strongly oriented toward postmaterial values
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