Policy making is a political process that is influenced by various social and economic factors (Hofferbert, 1974) and media systems play a vital role in shaping the social context in which policies are developed. Through the media, citizens learn how government policies will affect them, and governments get feedback on their policies and programs. Media systems act as primary conduits between those who may wish to influence politics and policy makers, controlling the scope of political discourse and regulating the flow of information. Textbook policy formulation follows an orderly sequence in which problems are identified, solutions devised, policies adopted, implemented, and finally evaluated (Mazamanian & Sabatier, 1989). In reality, the political process is more fluid, where policies are formed through the struggle of ideas of various advocacy coalitions (Sabatier, 1991) in what has been described as a primordial political soup (Kingdon, 1995). The policies the media focus on can, and often do, play an important role in determining the focal issues for politicians. One of the fundamental roles of the media in a liberal democracy is to critically examine government affairs: that is, to act as a government watchdog to ensure that the government can be held accountable to the public. However, the systematic deregulation of media systems around the world is diminishing the ability of citizens to participate meaningfully in the decision-making process that governs the media (McChesney, 2003, p. 126). The loosening of rules and controls over ownership has led to a move away from diversity of production towards a situation in which media ownership is becoming increasingly concentrated in a few predominantly Western global conglomerates (M...... middle of paper... ... small media reforms (such as public journalism) will be sufficient to reduce the commercial and corporate imperatives that drive our existing media systems (Hackett and Zhao, 1998, p. 235, instead fundamental reform is needed of the entire system) coupled with broader institutional reform of the very structures within which media systems operate, our democracies will face a difficult task, due to the powerful vested interests that benefit from the status quo, including political elites and economic issues driven by campaigns that mobilize public support across the political spectrum, to enable the world's citizens to have a media system that works to strengthen democratic principles rather than undermine them. This task is challenging, but it will become easier once people begin to understand the role of the media in decision-making in our democracies..