Democratic liberalism: the erosion of democracy and the media landscape

Abstract

Liberalism as a political doctrine has influenced the modern model of globalization, its essence and framework, and has contributed to the transformation of the global order and its present turbulence. The article seeks to explain how, contrary to expectations, the collapse of the bipolar world has led to the triumph of the liberal-democratic model, which has resulted in governmental dysfunction, a decline in democratic institutions, and a decrease in pluralism within the political sphere and the modern media landscape. The author provides a thorough theoretical analysis and examines specific examples from different countries to explore the evolution of liberalism. The paper references instances of the de-liberalization of political decision-making processes and the influence of mass media and social media in Western countries. Western media often portray the erosion of democracy as a global crisis, leading many countries, such as Hungary, a small nation with significant international influence, toward authoritarianism. This crisis weakens state institutions and leaves information ecosystems, both national and global, highly vulnerable to manipulation. Concurrently, social networking platforms can significantly contribute to the erosion of democracy, facilitating the rapid propagation of political information and disinformation, and tailoring content to particular groups of people based on their interests. The author explains the nature of democratic liberalism and its fundamental principles. The article also identifies the criteria for distorting liberal ideas and examines the practice of neglecting the doctrinal principles established during the Enlightenment era.