This final thesis presents the role of the media in a democratic society in the Republic of Croatia. Traditional and new media influence the society, inform it, entertain, and enable the transmission of culture. In the modern world, the media have a vast amount of power, so they influence both the public and individuals, and in many cases, they work through media manipulation. The period of transition to democracy was very important for the Republic of Croatia because the authorities tried to influence the media and control their work. This influence is still noticeable today but in a milder form. Subsequently, a Media Pluralism Fund was established, which finances non-profit media. Media also has three indispensable functions in contributing to the development of society and its democracy. Those include defining topics and questions which are talked about by the public (agenda setting), enabling the distribution of information to the public (gatekeeping) and continuous supervision of the government and those trying to come to power.