Using as an example the relations between the state and the mass media in Kenya in the 1960s and 1970s, this paper asserts that in regard to state/media relations, a theoretical middle course exists between the two most common perspectives, the structuralist-functionalists/chroniclers of history and the Marxists. The paper claims that this middle course illuminates variations in the character of state interventions with respect to the mass media, variations both over time and among institutions. The paper proposes that (1) it is the state's relations with "all" the major classes in a particular social formation and the particular configuration of those classes that determine the state's interests in controlling the media, not simply its relation to a dominant or ruling class; and (2) both the class character of the persons/organizations originating mass-mediated messages and the class character of their intended audiences independently contribute to determining the degree of severity of state interventions. The paper sets forth the outlines of a theoretical argument grounding these propositions, identifies a series of specific hypotheses, and tests them against the evidence of the aforementioned particular case, Kenya. The paper finds that the described patterns of state/media relations offer general support for the specific expectations suggested by the theoretical framework, although they by no means provide an unambiguous confirmation. One hundred and one notes are included, and 48 references are appended. (MS)