The Independence of the Media and its Regulatory Agencies

Shedding New Light on Formal and Actual Independence against the National Context

By (author) Wolfgang Schulz, Peggy Valcke, Kristina Irion

Publication date:

15 March 2014

Publisher

Intellect Books

Dimensions:

229x178mm
7x9"

ISBN-13: 9781841507330

Media independence is vital for democracies, and so is the independence of the regulatory bodies governing it. The Independence of the Media and its Regulatory Agencies explores the complex relationship between media governance and independence of media regulatory authorities within Europe, which form part of the wider framework in which media’s independence may flourish or fade. Based on research in more than forty countries, the contributions analyse the independence of regulators and draw links between social, financial and legal frameworks.

Preface – Karol Jakubowicz

Introduction: Structural interconnection of free media and independent regulators

Chapter 1: Approaches to independence – Wolfgang Schulz

Part I: Assessing the independence of regulatory bodies within the audiovisual media sector

Chapter 2: Delegation to independent regulatory authorities in the media sector: A paradigm shift through the lens of regulatory theory – Kristina Irion and Roxana Radu

Chapter 3: Independent media regulators: Condition sine qua non for freedom of expression? – Peggy Valcke, Dirk Voorhoof and Eva Lievens

Chapter 4: Media regulatory authorities in the EU context: Comparing sector-specific notions and requirements of independence – David Stevens

Chapter 5: Locating a regulator in the governance structure: A theoretical framework for the operationalization of independence – Stephan Dreyer

Chapter 6: Measuring independence: Approaches, limitations, and a new ranking tool – Kristina Irion and Michele Ledger

Part II: Media systems and the culture of independence

Chapter 7: Independence or balance of dependencies? Critical remarks on studying conditions of media regulators and public service media in Poland – Beata Klimkiewicz

Chapter 8: The independence of media regulatory authorities and the impact of the socio-political context: A comparative analysis of Greece and Italy – Evangelia Psychogiopoulou, Federica Casarosa and Anna Kandyla

Chapter 9: Does the complexity of institutional structures in federal states influence the independence of AVM regulatory authorities? A review of the cases of Germany and Belgium – Pierre-François Docquir, Sebastian Müller and Christoph Gusy

Chapter 10: The independence of media regulatory authorities in Finland and the UK: An assessment – Rachael Craufurd Smith, Epp Lauk, Yolande Stolte and Heikki Kuutti

Chapter 11: Independence through intervention? International intervention and the independence of the Communications Regulatory Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Tarik Jusić

Chapter 12: Concluding chapter: Independence in context – Wolfgang Schulz

'Provides a solid survey of European practices and organisations, and how they are changing amidst the media technological revolution'