• Korean journal of communication and information
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• v.41
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• pp.108-144
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• 2008

This study examines how the watchdog concert in journalism field has been created and develope4 Related studies found that the watchdog is related not so muck with free press theory as with a privilege awarded to the press because the press serves for the public interests. It was found that in the U.S., the watchdog concept was derived from the a lot of libel cases in the late 1890s. At the time, the newspaper owners and editors continuously claimed the very protection over vulnerability of newspaper's collecting, reporting, and printing news. While, in Korea, the concept of watchdog emerged in the late 1990s after the establishment of the Constitution Court. Even though the watchdog concert was accepted very late by the Korean courts, it is believed to be a kind of special privilege to prevent the press from being recklessly regulated in libel cases. Rather, the Korean courts expand the extent of the role of the press as a watchdog by deciding that not only the public officials and politicians but also other socially influential public figures could be included in the criticism from the press. However, how these court decisions can be practically implemented depends upon how the court apply the probability of the press to believe the news true and intention of malice in writing and publishing the stories.