Mass media content as cultural theory

Scholars often examine mass media as operating within one of several specific theories. Studies examine press operations to determine the governing theory. This article proposes an approach in which mass media act to develop and disseminate informal cultural theories that govern institutions. These theories are derived from the primary culture within which mass media operate. Disagreements over the role and function of mass media, such as the renascent NWICO debate, revolve around cultural differences. With culture as a foundation, the press serves to define social components and institutions, even itself, and the relationships between them.