Mass Media And Public Opinion : Germany

Article 5 of the Basic Law guarantees freedom of opinion and freedom of the press and also the right to obtain information from generally accessible sources. There is no censorship. The International Press Institute in Vienna describes the Federal Republic as one of the few countries where the state respects the strong position of a free press.

Function of the mass media. The press, and in the broader sense all mass media, has been referred to as the “fourth estate” next to the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. And it is true that all mass media play an important role in modern society. With their wide range of news and opinion, they help the people understand and keep check on parliament, government and public administration.

The Federal Constitutional Court noted that “a free press which is not controlled by the state and not subject to censorship is an essential element of a free country” and that in particular “regular press publications are indispensable to the modern democracy. If the people are to be able to make decisions they must be supplied with the information with which to assess opinions.”