1. Media policy for J3 and PGDiP

2. We’ll address What is policy & what’s its purpose?

3. 1. INTERNAL, EXTERNAL

4. Typical internal policy areas Editorial issues: –Independence, plagiarism, ethics, ICT use, digital manipulation, freebies Business issues: –Smoking, leave. Note gaps: eg. training policy, coverage of poverty

5. Typical external policy Broadcasting: – sectors – local content – elections – psb Convergence gap. Qtn: how external is external? (cf Internet governance).

6. Some key external issues Adapted from Steyn: Deregulation or re-regulation Liberalisation Corporatisation/commercialisation Privatisation Concentration laws

7. More external issues in media policy Public broadcaster Freedom of expression Diversity Social/cultural issues: language, nationhood Convergence

8. Policy overflow & overlap “Information Society” = overarching concept print policy broadcast policy telecoms policy industrial policy Info Soc Berger: one policy or one philosophy? Free expression Access to info edu & train policy transformtn policy

9. 2. DEFINITIONS

10. What is policy, what’s it for? How does policy differ from regulation, codes, laws, even style guides? Key assumptions & distinctions: –a framework, or a plan, or a law? – to guide, or direct, or govern? – informal or semiformal, or formal? – based on values/principles, norms or standards? Is yr take weak or medium or strong?

11. Think points Your definition sheds light on the question: What’s the point of policy? It locates policy in the sequence of: –Vision (& values, assumptions/givens) – Mission (and broad strategy) – POLICY (making choices in context) – Law – Regulations & codes – Practice

12. 3. ANALYSIS BY QUESTIONS

13. Classic journalists’ qtns applied to policy What is it? Who is involved in policy? Where are they? When are they involved? How are they involved? Why policy? So what?

14. What is it about? Role of state in comms? Media, broadcast, telecoms? Standards – technical, cultural Carriers, integration, connections Control and ownerships Content and language Access: complaints, services Degree of independence

15. What is it in character? Formal, or informal? Legal or not? Effective? Measurable? Reviewable?

16. Who is involved in policy? Who makes it? – govt, regulators, judges, consultants, owners, international organisations, directors, editors, managers, staff, civil soc, global professionals, men... Who is affected? – media, investors, sports groups, telecoms companies, citizens …

17. Where is it? Govt, presidency, parliament, party caucusses, hearings & enquiries, regulator, civil service, courts, media, golf courses, London, NY, Geneva. Is it in the public sphere or not?

18. When policy? When made? – law-making, crises, social and technological changes, political pressures, court cases, global fashions, conferences … – political will and capacity – retrospective vs forward looking When effected? – when power & bureaucracy active

19. How policy? Ad hoc, or planned process? Role of values, vision, philosophy Interests: articulated, aggregated Role of info and research, Participation or not? Accountability & public opinion. Budget and costs factor How it is supposed to work: –“policy as hypothesis”

20. Why policy? Ans: framing power – to avoid or pre-empt problems. (Note: problems for who? How ID’d?) – to enable and empower for solutions – to prioritise & allocate resources – structure & promote economic life – balance conflicting interests – citizenship, education, nationalism.

21. So what about policy? Ans: to engineer – media=power-tool assumptions – media-scape, but “leakage”. – relates to law, regulation, practice. – implementation gap: issues of budgets, resources, capacity. – visionary stretch vs realistic trim? – policy overload problems.

22. Golding - Policy focuses on: INDUSTRY STRUCTURE MEDIA CONTENTS

23. Golding: Policy ethos interventionist liberal INDUSTRY STRUCTURE MEDIA CONTENTS

24. Golding: Policy systems AuthoritarianFree market + strong state RegulatoryLibertarian interventionist liberal INDUSTRY STRUCTURE MEDIA CONTENTS

25. Golding: Policy systems AuthoritarianFree market + strong state RegulatoryLibertarian interventionist liberal INDUSTRY STRUCTURE MEDIA CONTENTS Note: label

26. Summing up Internal – external Definitions Proper place of policy What, who, where, when, how, why and so-what? Policy on content, on industry structure Interventionist vs liberal ethos, systems Reading: Berger, Steyn.

27. 4. PARADIGMS

28. Paradigm spectacles: 1. Functionalism 2. Liberal Pluralism 3. Power view 4. Participative 5. Chaos theory

29. Paradigms 1: Functionalism Policy = systems to harmonise for the reproduction of the whole entity. Relevance to policy on media: –Plays integrative role – eg. get agreement that political parties will not be allowed to have radio station licences. –Gives predictability, avoids ad hoc decisions: there are agreed rules & procedures for getting licences. –Should go through clear stages/steps

30. Paradigms 2: Lib pluralism Policy reflects interests: competition and contest among those who can. Highlights elite politics of policy. Policy “sales” seen to = the most rational outcome for the whole. Relevance to policy on media: –Fair & open competition for licences. –Recognise diff interests amongst power-holders who need to be satisfied by policy process if result = legit.

31. Paradigms 3: Power view Policy reflects the rulers. –Highlights final power in policy –Focus on class and gender. Relevance to policy on media: –Policy decisions (& ambiguity) reflect not just compromise but control. –Do govt, international orgs, owners or advertisers call the final shots? –Sometimes “policy as political theatre” –Discourse of policy coverage is nb.

32. Paradigm 4: Participative Policy as consultative and empowering of powerless. Relevance to policy on media: – Are there provisions for media workers, and audiences, to make input or register complaints? –Are there provisions for access to public service media by all voices? – Grassroots ownership – community media possibilities.

33. Paradigm 5: Chaos theory Policy as piecemeal muddle. – Disorderly, ad hoc. Media relevance: – Policy arises from poor info, poor process, false perceptions, flawed cause-effect views, inconsistencies, irrational humans.

34. Summing up Paradigm insight: – policy as integrative – policy as politically contested – policy as power of the dominant – policy as empowering – policy as patchy

35. Exercise Apply the paradigms to an internal policy issue: a policy on smoking in the newsroom.

36. 5. KEY ISSUES

37. Key issues: A. Role of state B. Philosophies C. Scope of policy D. No policy & failure

38. A. 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?

39. B: Philosophies & values Libertarian/commercial values: Light touch - abstentionist Democratic values: Consultative, self-regulatory Social democratic values: Directive Statist/control-freak values: Heavy touch

40. C: Scope of policy Policing policy, or “regulate the regulatable”: Selection of gender sources? Defining field: Training? Freebies? Plagiarism? Also: Capacity, monitoring, review.

41. D: Impact issues Formal vs informal policies. Living vs dead-letter policies: “No policy” can be a policy position – de facto, it is status quo friendly.

42. D: Impact issues cntd Assessing policy success: Measurable indicators needed Evaluation must be done When policy fails: – Impractical & unrealistic – Inflexible re: changing conditions Policy vs practice: – Where does fault lie?

43. Re-cap Definition & purpose of policy. Who, what, where, when, how, why, so what? Issues in policy, structure-content- systems 4 paradigms: functionalist, liberal, power, participative Key issues: philosophy, scope, impact

44. Conclusion Policy is a major factor for media It matters! Thank you