1. Media and policy J3: 2003

2. Coming up What is policy? Other questions about it. Donning paradigm specs. Four key issues to think about. Reading.

3. What is policy? Readings: – Steyn, Berger Write down your definition. Discussion: do you have a policy on responding to beggars?

4. Check your writing: Any revision? Key assumptions & distinctions: – guide, or direct, or govern? – norms, or standards, or principles? – formal, or informal? – a framework, or a plan, or a law?

5. Key questions for policy Who is involved? Where are they? When are they involved? How are they involved? Why policy? So what?

6. Key questions for policy Who is involved? – govt, business, civil soc, IMF, Icasa, judges, editors,... Where are they? – parliament, govt, civil service, courts, media, Geneva, NY, etc.

7. Key questions for policy When are they involved? – law-making, crises, social and technological changes, political pressures, court cases. How are they involved? – role of values and interests, – role of info and research, –public and/or private processes.

8. Key questions for policy Why policy? – to solve problems, to pre-empt problems. (Note: problems for who?) So what? – relates to law, regulation, conduct. – implementation gap: issues of budgets, resources, capacity.

9. Paradigm spectacles: FunctionalistLiberal MarxistRadical

10. Paradigms 1 Functionalist view: – Policy is about guidelines for harmonising a society for the reproduction of the whole, – Underplays power & interests. – Media relevance: Playing integrative functions.

11. Paradigms 2 Liberal pluralistic view: – Policy reflects political competition and contest. – Media relevance: Free press allows for informed choices and debate Watchdog on implementation

12. Paradigms 3 Marxist view: – Policy reflects Powerholders – Media relevance: Media legitimises dominant policies

13. Paradigm 4 Radical democratic view: – Best policy is consultative and empowering. – Media relevance: Media can give grassroots voices

14. Exercise Pass yr policy definition to a pal: – Classify it in terms of paradigms – Comment on it in terms of its adequacy in covering the who, what, where, when, how, why and so-what questions. – Suggest amendments & return it.

15. Key issues: 1. Role of state 2. Philosophies 3. Scope of policy 4. No policy & failure

16. Key issue 1 Role of the state –The most NB site of policy? – Role of independent regulators? – Role of foreign influences? – Role of international orgs? – Role of the media?

17. Key issue 2 Different philosophies on policy: – Libertarian/commercial: Light touch – Social democratic Directive – Statist Heavy touch

18. Key issue 3 Scope of policy – Regulate the regulatable? Satellites? Internet? – Capacity, monitoring, review – Defining field: Telephony? Broadcasting? Media?

19. Key issue 3 cntd Fragments or holistic approach? – Broadcast policy? – Media policy? – Information policy? – Communication policy? – Relation to other policies: Education, competition, BEE, etc.

20. Key issue 4 When no policy is a policy position – status quo friendly When policy fails: – Inflexibility – Poor implementation – Assessment is absent.

21. Re-capping Who, what, where, when, how, why, so what? 4 paradigms: functionalist, liberal, marxist, radical democratic Key issues: state, philosophy, scope, no policy, failure

22. Food for thought: Policy vs practice interface? Similarities between macro- and micro- policy? Interdependency? Macro-policy impact on media. Media impact on macro-policy. Impact of internal newsroom policy on media’s role & impact.

23. Conclusion: Read: Steyn, Berger Read: Yanovitsky and Leff Thank you