MED4107 New Media and Photography | Week 2 | Media Regulation

Media Regulation Reading Response

The main themes of Long and Wall (2012) are the “concerns about production practices and cultures” and “textual meanings and the relationship of media output to its audiences”. Likewise, Feintuck also discusses media regulation, public interest and the law.

Long and Wall (2012) define regulation as “manifestations of policies decided upon by governments based on political and moral philosophies about the role of various media in society”. Feintuck (1999) helps us to understand this better by saying “our view of the world is arguably influenced more by the media than by our personal experience. We rely to a large extent on both the broadcast and printed media as communication of politics, of culture and of ‘information’”. Putting these together, it gives the idea that the media has to be regulated so that consumers are shown unbiased and an even mix of political and cultural ideas. This is supported by Long and Wall (2012) as they say that regulation “aims to control organisations as a means of controlling consumption of texts”.

Long and Wall (2012) also say how “regulation concerns legal or self imposed controls of restrictions of media organisations, unveiling their ownership, production, process and output as a means to achieve a policy goal”. This shows that there is an argument that media regulation is put in place so that it can help companies and the government to achieve their business aims and objectives. Long and Wall (2012) give the idea that media regulation is for public interest vs. achieving policy objectives. Feintuck (1999) also talks about how public interest helps to form regulation and policies. He said, “…Something called ‘the public interest’ appears to have formed the policy of all British government”. By putting ‘public interest’ in quotation marks, it suggests that he doesn't think that policies are actually influenced by the public interest.

I have never really thought about media regulation whilst engaging with media (only when I hear news stories that regard Ofcom), but after reading about it, it has made me think about the convergence of media and how regulation affects this. I don't think that new media, the Internet and photography should be regulated as I think these are places for free speech and creativity. However there is a disadvantage to no regulation, as harmful and inappropriate content can be made available.

For future study, I would be interested in researching how regulation affects the convergence of broadcast, radio and advertising being in new media, i.e. on websites. Convergence is defined by Long and Wall (2012) as “the merging of different technologies to create new forms of cultural product and new modes of production and delivery”.  I would research this by using regulation and policy analysis, which is defined by Long and Wall (2012) as “… to understand both how any control works and what it aims to achieve”. I would carry out regulation and policy analysis by deciding on one or more medium to investigate, identify policy documents, identify policy objectives, identify regulatory bodies, and map changes in policy. Long and Wall (2012). For example, I could look at how regulation allows BBC Radio 1 to broadcast live audio and video online and also upload live performances to YouTube.

References

Feintuck, M. (1999) Media regulation, public interest and the law. Edinburgh: MPG Books, Bodmin.

Long, P. and Wall, T. (2012) Media studies: texts, production, context. 2nd edn. Oxon: Taylor & Francis.