大众传媒在当今世界各国的社会与政治发展中功能显著。在技术飞速发展的信息时代,它正以惊人的力量全方位地介入政治过程。媒体所具有的传播信息、引导舆论以及守望社会的功能,有利于政府与公众的互动,一定程度上促进了公众参与公共权力机构的立法、决策和治理过程。不过如同16世纪德国宗教改革家马丁·路德(Martin Luther,1483—1546)所言:“一个国家的前途,不取决于它的国库之殷实,不取决于它的城堡之坚固,也不取决于 The mass media have a significant function in the social and political development of all countries in the world today. In the rapidly evolving information age of technology, it is strikingly involved in the political process with incredible power. The media’s dissemination of information, the guidance of public opinion and the function of keeping a watch on the society are conducive to the interaction between the government and the public, and to a certain extent, promote public participation in the process of legislation, decision-making and governance of the public authority. However, as the 16th-century German reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) put it: ”The future of a country does not depend on the well-being of its treasury, not on the strength of its castle, nor is it depending on