Normative context in contemporary German media

Socially significant ideas about the individual, his cultural and social ties, his rights and freedom are clearly formulated both in the EU Charter and in the basic law of the Federal Republic. However, it would be logical to take into consideration some criteria of social normality and compliance with the society in which certain legal norms operate. Such social normative context covers all social institutions, includes the ideas about the world and individual of all social groups, and has an inverse effect on the mentality of each individual in every field of activity, including the media sphere. The influence of the normative context affects not only the structure of information content, the way of broadcasting, the specifics of forms and types, but also characterizes the entire media system — within a particular region, country or union of states. The normative context must be necessarily determined by the individual’s idea of national self-identification; social environment; cultural landscape and geographical area; the vision of rights and freedoms. Without taking these important criteria into account, the fact of the German media system’s adherence to the Western values and European rights, and the country’s high rating in respect to civil liberties do not explain the specifics of German journalism.