Acknowledging the recognition of the media as international actors, this article discusses their role in the process of ideological production in contemporary democracies. The interconnection between the global media industry and market configuration emerges as the structural link of this process, which determines the conditions of reproduction and dissemination of ideas and the construction of the reference frames that allow defining the positioning of voters-consumers. Following Downs’ theory, this paper examines the conceptual relationship between social positioning and political positioning, proposing the introduction of a third variable in Downs’ analysis, media positioning, in order to define and update its postulates. Finally, the stages, processes and outputs involved in the process of ideological construction in three different market configurations are identified. The conclusion is that there is a qualitative change in the action of global media, which have evolved from being informal actors in the democratic process to formal actors.