Staking a Claim for Social Responsibility: An Argument for the Dual Responsibility Model

More than 50 years ago, Siebert, Peterson and Schramm (1956 Siebert, F. S., Peterson, T. and Schramm, W. 1956. Four theories of the press, Urbana: University of Illinois Press. [Google Scholar]) penned their groundbreaking work, Four Theories of the Press, in which they articulated the ideals of social responsibility. However, the economic model for the media in the United States has changed dramatically since Four Theories was written. Consequently, there is a need for a new model that combines the high ideals and First Amendment considerations of social responsibility theory while recognizing the economic realities of today's mega-corporate environment. Social responsibility is a no less worthy goal today than it was 50 years ago; however, although the paradigm shift has occurred, the theoretical writing has not kept pace with the modern reality. This study proposes a new dual responsibility model that acknowledges the equal weight of the economic responsibility to the stakeholder, as well as the social responsibility to the audience.