Early optimistic internet evangelists addressed news and information as an area in which digital technologies would eradicate social inequality; social networks, social media and other forms of grassroot or Indymedia would establish a powerful counter-public. From today’s perspective, such digital over-optimism is no longer justified. Economic resources for news production are still unevenly distributed, and inherited patterns of unequal news coverage between central and peripheral nations still prevail. Digital technologies have rather added new layers to the existing news inequalities, in particular in the political economy of news. Digital and social forms of inequality appear to be deeply intertwined in the news realm.

Inequalities are the unwanted companions of media and communication. Tradi­tional analogue mass media were criticized for creating inequalities by being biased, serving hegemonic interests, and accumulating far too much power in the hands of mighty industrial conglomerates. Under the digital regime, most inequalities survived, and new ones occurred. Knowledge gaps transformed into digital divides, news journalism is challenged by social networking sites, and global corporate monopolies outperform national media companies. Algorithmic selection, surveillance, Big Data and the Internet of Things are creating new inequalities which follow traditional patterns of class, gender, wealth and education. This book revisits old and new media and communication inequalities in times of digital transition. It has been written in a collective effort by the members of the Euromedia Research Group.

Inequalities have been the unwanted companion of media and communications since public communications emerged. Traditional mass media were criticized for creating inequalities by being biased, serving hegemonic interests, accumulating far too much power in the hands of mighty industrial conglomerates and creating knowledge gaps among their various audiences. Journalism contributed to gender and race discrimination in news rooms and to accepting informal news selection rules in favour of those in power, thereby dwarfing their watchdog role in democracies. Under the digital regime, which evolved around the establishment of the Internet as the core distribution platform in the late 1990s, most of these inequalities survived and new ones occurred. Knowledge gaps have transformed into digital divides, advertising revenues have migrated to social networking sites, which challenge traditional news journalism, and global corporate monopolies outperform media companies and nation state media regulation alike. In addition, algorithmic selection, surveillance, big data and the Internet of Things are creating new forms of inequality that follow the traditional patterns of class, gender, wealth and education.

To what extent do the structures and conduct of leading news media correspond with their specific democratic role? Authors from 10 countries provide empirical evidence based on the 26 indicators included in the Media for Democracy Monitor. This book addresses, on the one hand, the academic community with the intention to further the debate on the role of leading mass media within contemporary democracies. New developments such as social media and the ongoing media crisis in many countries are likely to require further observation by academic research. On the other hand, the book provides input for the debate going on within media professional circles and their own perception of the role the news media play in democratic societies. The findings expose the leading news media to criticism from different perspectives, but they may also encourage media professionals to study best business practices in other countries – and perhaps to learn from experience abroad. Studying practices in other countries may cause longstanding newsroom habits to be questioned and revised.