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The Politics-Media-Politics Principle
The politics-media-politics principle (PMP) is a central component in the Political Contest Model. The principle and model were developed by Professor Gadi Wolfsfeld of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. The principle presents the relationship between the political environment and the media environment, describing it as a cyclical relationship. Events in politics affect the media, which in turn influences politics. While the theory presents itself as cyclical, it also states that the process is initiated by politics. This is because the news media does not initiate the discussion of a public issue, but rather reacts to a pre-existing discussion. The media does not initiate a political process, but can accelerate it, and shape public opinion by offering opposition voices.

Role of the Journalist in the PMP Principle
Despite the process being activated by political players, the media is not considered passive. The principle attributes the media with an active role, with professional interests that effect the construction of news stories. They “actively translate” political realities into news stories that “are both interesting and culturally resonant.”  It states that journalists have motivations to include opposition voices in connection to government action. Journalists have two main motivations for including opposition voices. The first motivator is the fact that conflict will make the news more interesting. The principle sites the desire to create “drama” as a motivator of the media. The second source of motivation is that media interprets its role as a “watch dog” of government, and “views criticizing authority as a professional obligation.”