Abstract

This book presents a new theoretical model of a media system called: the model of the precarious system of democratic transition. The latter is based on fifteen parameters that characterize the Haitian media system and the environment in which it evolves. This is a significant contribution to advancing knowledge in media studies and public communication in general. After carefully analyzing different models of media systems existing in the scientific literature, including the three models proposed by Halin and Mancini (2004), the author concludes that none of them applies to the typical Haitian case. His study confirms the limitations of media system models resulting from Halin and Mancini’s comparative studies in the context of Western countries. It is a real reference document that gives an unprecedented reading grid to analyze the media systems of non-Western countries, particularly African or Latin American countries, which have characteristics similar to that of Haiti. Indeed, in his doctoral thesis, the author concluded that the Haitian media system has transformed over the past 60 years under the influence of three sets of factors: linguistics, democratic and technological. Nevertheless, he comes to the conclusion that the changes observed are only in the relations between the actors of the system without leading to a reconfiguration of the system. The main characteristics of the Haitian media system and its environment remained unchanged from 1957 to 2022. So, there is an inertia that keeps the system in an initial state.