Mass communication is a process of transmitting large numbers of information to a wide and dispersed audience through mass media. The media serve the public and meet the needs of the public. They can be of different shapes and types and are shaped by the environment in which they operate in. They must meet certain conditions in order to survive in democratic society. Democracy is a form of the rule of the people, and the condition for it's survival is the freedom of the media. The struggle for freedom of the press was a lengthy process that included the fight against censorship. Today there are numerous legal acts, laws, standards and codes in European countries that provide freedom of the media. In addition, the importance of media literacy is emphasized that would enable a better understanding of the media, especially their impact on people's lives and behavior. Since the media are a very important part of everyday human life and have a strong impact on human attitudes, various philosophers and scientists have developed many theories about what the media should be and what their role is for the society in which they operate. Media Ethics requires journalists to perform their profession in a way that does not jeopardize others and it protects journalists' rights and independence. The four theories of the press is about first normative media theories that made grounds on which other theories depends later. The first four theories included authoritarian, libertarian, social responsible, and Soviet-Totalitarian theory of the press. Each of these theories has specific views on the freedom of the media and their functioning and each relates to a different environment. The four theories on the press triggered the avalanche of reactions and new theories that arise today. The goal of normative theories is to find an ideal set of media tasks and a way they should function to serve society in the right way. Understanding of normative theories involves the analysis of normative traditions, models of democracy, and the role of the media. Normative theories arise on the democratic principles of a state. The media have different roles, and their purpose is common good. An overview of various normative theories will give insight into the complexity of the media system. One of the major problems of today is the uncontrolled development of the Internet that has changed the entire media system. The problem is to find the ideal solution to it's regulation since everything that is built on historical foundations is now vulnerable and changes rapidly.