Using Fred S. Siebert, Theodore Peterson, and Wilbur Schramm's classic "Four Theories of the Press" as their point of departure, the authors consider what the role of journalism ought to be in a democratic society. They examine the philosophical underpinnings and political realities of journalism, thereby identifying four distinct yet overlapping roles for the media: 'monitorial', 'facilitative', 'radical', and 'collaborative'. Ultimately they show how these competing paradigms can affect the laws, policies, and public attitudes of a liberal society.