You are 100% correct, RoS. In a democratic system, the media is potentially both an asset and a threat. Obviously, we want an honest, neutral and inquisitive media to report on every aspect of our government. If the media does that it's an asset to democracy. 

On the other hand, the tail can wag the dog when the media becomes powerful in its own right. When ownership of media becomes concentrated in a few hands; when the media abandons neutrality; and when the economic power of media firms grows very large, the media can become a threat to democracy. When the media acts on the body politic according to its own agenda, rather than simply reporting political events, democracy is weakened.