The media have always played an important role in politics, mainly as an external observer of the political process. Today, however, they have gradually acquired the role of an agent, capable of creating political reality. Especially in democracies, journalists and newspaper editors have the power to make and unmake individuals,...

People can change the moral and legal status of certain acts by communicating their intention to do so, e.g. by consenting or promising. This ability is often referred to as an individual’s normative power and is highly significant in both law and morality. All or most contemporary legal systems recognise...