Media and politics in new democracies : Europe in a comparative perspective Models. The news media between volatility and hybridization Normative and empirical models of democracy Capitalist diversity and the media Actors. Political actors and the colonization of the media The rise of oligarchs as media owners Journalists as critical change agents and popular disseminators Forces : law culture and technology. Good bad and irritant laws in new democracies Daily democracy : politics media and democratic culture Digital democracies and networked publics Challenges. Media fragmentation and its consquences for democracy Accelaration of history political instabilities and media change Informal politics and formal media structures Benchmarks. Converging and diverging pathways of media transformation Variety of media systems in third wave democracies Mediated despotism a world beyond democracy Regional experiences. Media hegemony and polarization in Latin America Does the watchdog need watching in South East Asia Media conflict and political transitions in Africa Conclusions. Why is it important to study the media and politics in new democracies