Introduction

Abstract

This book concerns global media policy and regulation — it attempts to examine the sociocultural, political, economic and legal issues that are used to regulate the media, telecommunications and the Internet in contemporary society. It aims to analyze the policy process, consider policy issues and shape policy debates, which are increasingly taking place at a supranational level. The bulk of the relevant academic literature up to now has mainly conceived media policy as the process of state-initiated and -implemented mechanisms for structuring media and communication systems. Although the role and power of national governments in the media policy process remain important — this volume argues that today the nation-state1 indeed remains the decisive player in media policy formation — the book acknowledges that the exercise of policy is not confined to the state, for other actors, such as supranational corporations, multilateral clubs, the industry and the global civil society, have an increasingly significant presence in media policymaking. The shaping of policy has become more complex and increasingly competitive. In a global world, policy and regulation at national level is no longer sufficient.