Regulation is an important aspect of the industries key concept. How much influence should governments have over the ownership and consumption of media products? How powerful is the media? Key media theorists for this area are:
- David Hesmondhalgh: the Cultural Industries
- James Curran and Jean Seaton: Power Without Responsibility
- Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt: Media Regulation
Two key terms for regulation:
Statutory regulation is when the regulator is backed by law (government legislation) and the regulator has real power. Example: Ofcom.
Voluntary regulation is when the industry regulates itself and governments are not involved. The newspaper and videogames industries are good examples.
- Broadcasting (including the BBC): Ofcom
- Newspapers: IPSO
- Film: BBFC
- Videogames: PEGI
One of the major challenges facing governments and regulators is the fact so much of the cultural industries is now on the internet – and the internet is global.
The global nature of the internet means it is difficult for one government to regulate – and tech giants like Google or Amazon are now more powerful than individual countries.
This BBC Newsnight feature explores the challenge of regulating the internet:
Online harms bill
The Online Harms Bill attempts to bring some government regulation to the internet – but it was a painfully long process and changed its focus several times (the bill spanned four different Prime Ministers and seven culture secretaries). Many question if it will actually have any impact.
There are also some short but informative BBC videos on the tragic Molly Russell case that has informed elements of the Online Harms Bill:
- Molly Russell's father on why social media giants need to change: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-63171199
- Molly Russell’s father meets Facebook whistleblower to talk about what more Instagram can do: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-59032290
Media regulation: blog tasks
Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet 128: Contemporary Media Regulation. Our Media Factsheet archive can be found at M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. You can find it online here - you'll need to log in using your Greenford Google login.
Read the Factsheet and complete the following questions/tasks:
1) What is regulation and why do media industries need to be regulated?
2) What is OFCOM responsible for?
3) Look at the section on the OFCOM broadcasting code. Which do you think are the three most important sections of the broadcasting code and why?
4) Do you agree with OFCOM that Channel 4 was wrong to broadcast 'Wolverine' at 6.55pm on a Sunday evening? Why?
5) List five of the sections in the old Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice.
6) Why was the Press Complaints Commission criticised?
7) What was the Leveson enquiry and why was it set up?
8) What was the PCC replaced with in 2014?
9) What is your opinion on press regulation? Is a free press an important part of living in a democracy or should newspapers face statutory regulation like TV and radio?
10) Why is the internet so difficult to regulate?
Complete this for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
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