MediaChannel.org - POLICY CENTER

Policy Matters

Introduction | Overviews | Regional Resources

As new technologies and globalization transform the communication and information landscape, economies and governments are in transition and media policies are being constructed and reconstructed worldwide. National and international bodies are currently debating the regulations and protocols that will determine the media world we will live in.

Yet much of this debate is happening behind closed doors, and when it's not, it might as well be for all the attention it receives. All too often the forces shaping the media and the issues at stake do not get enough attention, even among would-be media reformers.

To insist that citizens, advocates, policymakers and scholars must consider the fundamental role of media policy in society is not melodramatic. To do so we need exactly that which we hope to preserve and improve: communication and information.

MediaChannel offers a wealth of material on media-policy research, advocacy and reform and features hundreds of articles on media policy and law. Our network includes more than 80 organizations that work on policy issues. This page is your gateway to information, ideas, discussions and groups in your area and around the world. We invite your participation in our Policy Forum and your feedback to editor@mediachannel.org

OVERVIEWS

International Media Law
Article 19, the coalition campaigning for the free flow of information, offers the "Virtual Freedom of Information Handbook," which collects case law from international jurisdictions, offers an outline of the issues in information policy and provides a range of related documents. From ARTICLE 19

The Enabling Environment (.pdf)
Available for download in PDF format, "The Enabling Environment for Free and Independent Media" recognizes that media law and institutions are fundamental to effective democracy. This study outlines the necessary legal context for media-policy reform and explores the conditions that make law effective, useful and just. The Program in Comparative Media Law and Policy provides research, analysis and networking opportunities for media policy experts.
(Download the free software required to read PDF files here.) From Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy

Communications Policy And Civil Rights
Communications policy will determine the rules of the "great national conversation," writes Mark Lloyd, arguing that this is a civil rights issue. Although his comments concern the United States, his framework for understanding how communications policy affects political agendas is relevant everywhere. From Civil Rights Forum on Communications Policy

Manifestoes And Movements
How can groups articulate a platform for media reform and identify shared issues around which to build coalitions? MediaChannel presents 20 years of declarations, statements and manifestoes and invites your participation. From The Media Channel

Monitoring The Information Society
UNESCO's Observatory on the Information Society seeks "to raise awareness on the constant evolution of ethical, legal and societal challenges brought about by new technologies." The online center tracks official Internet policies and strategies at the national and international levels. From UNESCO - Communication, Information and Informatics Sector

Broadcasting For The People
Around the world, policymakers, journalists and reformers are working to reinvent public broadcasting systems. Infant democracies face the challenge of protecting public-service media from state control, but for established democracies the influence of the marketplace may pose the greatest risk to public broadcasting's freedom. From The Media Channel

The Internet Is Not Forever
A frequent and vocal advocate for grassroots and organized activism on media issues, News Dissector Danny Schechter outlines the public-interest concerns of Internet policy and urges citizen action to keep the Net free and democratic. From The Media Channel

Global Internet Liberty Campaign
A coalition of civil liberties and human rights organizations, GILC advocates for free online expression, unrestricted use of encryption software, privacy rights and equitable information access. From Global Internet Liberty Campaign

REGIONAL RESOURCES

For a full list of MediaChannel affiliates working on media policy worldwide, visit the Directory. Here are some places to get started:

AFRICA: Campaign For Broadcasting Diversity
Advocating policy and legislation to establish public, commercial and community broadcasters, the Media Institute of Southern Africa's campaign seeks "to provide a diversity of independent voices together with a significant amount of local news, public information, educational and cultural programming." From Media Institute of Southern Africa

ASIA-PACIFIC: Internet Governance Information Service
News, research, discussion and training on legal frameworks for Internet policy. APDIP's focus on Internet governance covers government and political structures as well as practices of self-governance and grassroots coordination. From UNDP - Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme

EUROPE: Media Law Development And Research
The European Institute for the Media focuses on "the impact of convergence on the media, cross-border developments in the media and their role in the process of European integration; the public interest aspects of (new) media developments and the growth of the Information Society." Special attention is paid to media law in the transitioning societies of Eastern and Central Europe. From The European Institute for the Media

EUROPE: Cyber-Rights And Cyber-Liberties
Free speech, privacy, encryption and cybercrime policy are the concerns of this civil liberties organization, which monitors developments and issues policy recommendations for the United Kingdom and European Union. From Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK)

UK: Campaign For Press And Broadcasting Freedom
Though policy statements, proposals, political petitioning and events, the CPBF organizes and advocates for media regulation to insure a diverse, accountable and democratic media system. From Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom

CANADA: Federal Policy And Initiatives
This overview of Canadian government action and legislation on media issues is designed for teachers, students and concerned citizens, and includes information on how to contact and lobby the federal broadcast regulator, the CRTC. From Media Awareness Network

U.S.: Media Power And Media Policy
This special MediaChannel report examines how media companies pursue their policy interests and legislative agendas through political contributions, lobbying efforts and unparalleled power to shape public opinion. From The Media Channel

U.S.: Public Interest And Digital Media
The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy & Practice Program "seeks to infuse the emerging communications environment with public interest values, and demonstrate the value of communications for solving social problems and strengthening social bonds." Benton offers news, reports and perspectives, along with case studies, best practice guides and toolkits focusing especially on digital broadcasting, community media projects and telecommunications policy. From Communications Policy & Practice - Benton Foundation

U.S.: Public Policy And Community Media
The Alliance For Community Media's policy pages include information on laws affecting community media, how a bill becomes law and a guide to "Citizen Involvement in Federal Lawmaking." From Alliance for Community Media

Introduction | Overviews | Regional Resources

AS THE MEDIA WATCH THE WORLD, WE WATCH THE MEDIA.

Welcome! This is a preview of our new Policy Center, one of a number of planned MediaChannel subsites. We invite feedback and suggestions to editor@mediachannel.org.

NETWORK

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DISCUSS

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EXPLORE
All MediaChannel Media Policy features.

Recently:
• News Dissector: Britain's "Communications 'Blight' Paper"
• Report: The National Association of Broadcasters and the FCC
• Campaign: OneWorld's Digital Divide Page
• Op-Ed: U.S. Policy Is a Model for the World

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