Katharine Sarikakis

This volume takes a fresh look at media and communications policy and provides a comprehensive account of issues that are central to the study of the field. It moves beyond the 'specifics' of regulation, by examining policy areas that have proved to be of common concern for societies across different socio-economic realities. It also seeks to address profound gaps in the study of policy by demonstrating the centrality of historical, social and political context in debates that may appear solely technical or economistic. Media Policy and Globalization covers the institutional changes in the communications policy arena by examining the changing role of the state, technology and the market and the role of civil society. It discusses actual policy areas in broadcasting, telecommunications and the information society, and examines the often-overlooked normative dimensions of communications policy. Features *Provides a cross-disciplinary critical perspective of the politics of communications policy-making in a global context *Explores new issues in communications policy such as ethical concerns and the 'internationality of policy' *Useful for upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students and scholars of Communications and Media Studies, and International and Global Studies.

This book discusses the historical, political, economic and cultural aspects of the media in Britain. Focusing on the national media landscape, British Media in a Global Era examines the development and role of the British media within a European and international context. British Media in a Global Era explains the complex patterns of transnational ownership of British media and examines the important aspects of media policy contextualised within internationally observed trends, such as censorship, freedom of expression and right to reply. It introduces students to current debates on regulation, the changing nature of the Public Service Broadcasting system and the commercialisation of the 'new media'. It also addresses two largely neglected areas: the role of the public in the communication process and the role of non-mainstream or 'alternative' media in Britain. Written in an accessible manner, this is a vital introduction to the British media for all Media Studies students.

Contrary to widespread rhetoric of deregulation, the media are objects of increased global policy. Generators of cultural spheres, within which social consensus is formed, the media are shaped by national and supranational agencies of questionable legitimacy. Policy delineates the form and content of global communications impinging on cultures, discourses and consciousness; yet, citizen representation in processes of policy-making remains fragmentary. In this insightful study, the author examines the role of the European Parliament, as the only international organisation directly accountable to and elected by citizens, in the formation of media policy. This critical account of supranational representation identifies the structural and ideological dynamics of powers in European media policy. Through detailed examination of major policies, the author demonstrates the conditions under which supranational representation can offer a resisting force to unaccountable global powers, and the ways in which it can contribute to system transformation and defend communication spaces.