n Conflict Trends - The role of the media in the DRC Elections : beyond the 'watchdog' frontier

Abstract

The principal democratic role of the media, according to traditional liberal theory, is to act as a check on the state. The media should monitor the full range of state activity, and fearlessly expose abuses of official authority. This watchdog role is said in traditional liberal theory to override in importance all other functions of the media.1 It is true to say that the media play a crucial role in nurturing and consolidating a democratic ethos and facilitating the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms, one of which is the right to free expression of thoughts and ideas.