THE PRESS AND THE NORMATIVE THEORIES
DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE LIBERTARIAN AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THEORIS OF THE PRESS IN RELATION TO THE CONDUCT OF THE MEDIA IN GHANA. The libertarian theory of the press was developed in England and the U.S.A. after1688. This theory takes the philosophical view that man is rational and able to discern between truth and falsehood and therefore can choose between a better and worse alternative. Libertarians believe that individuals should have complete freedom of action, provided their actions do not infringe on the freedom of others. (Ref: Britannica concise encyclopaedia) The chief purpose of this theory is to inform, entertain, sell- but chiefly to help discover truth, and to check on government. In the libertarian theory the media was controlled by self-righting process of truth in a free market place of ideas and by the court. The theory gives way for the media to be owned by private individuals. The theory sought for press freedom and objectivity. The press was used