Public opinion is critically important in any democracy, which is why the media are rightly described as the ?Fourth Estate=. Against this background, it is important for politically responsible citizens to know how the media function and operate. Tanjev Schultz describes the role of the media in democratic systems in a clear, concise and easy-to-understand manner. He addresses the tension between required standards and reality, between expectations of the media and what actually happens. He lists the positions commonly taken in media criticism and outlines the findings of media research. The book also discusses changes in the media, resulting in particular from digitalization and the popularity of social media platforms, as well as current controversies and phenomena such as ?fake news= and Lügenpresse (?lying press=) accusations.