Totalitarian Theory is a media theory asserting that all media must be strictly controlled and censored by the ruling government or party. Under this model, any form of dissent, alternative viewpoints, or pluralistic ideas are suppressed, as they are viewed as threats to the dominant ideology upheld by those in power.
The media, according to this theory, serves solely as a tool for propaganda, promoting the official narrative of the ruling party without tolerance for opposition or critique. It aims to unify public opinion behind the government’s agenda and eliminate any conflicting perspectives.
Historical examples include Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, where state-controlled media was used to manipulate information, control public perception, and maintain authoritarian control by silencing opposition voices and presenting a uniform, often distorted, worldview.