Caging the Beast: Constructing a Framework for the Analysis of Media Change in Western Europe

The causes which underlie current changes in European media systems are numerous and complex and present alternative possibilities for interpretation and for research directions. This article examines some of the alternatives and chooses to place an emphasis on the factors of external pressure and internal conflict. Commerce provides the main driving force for change, but the outcome will depend on a balance of forces, which include the wishes of the public.