Media industries are undergoing widespread and unsettling changes. This book evaluates some of the political ideas and arguments that underpin the policies that shape the British and American media environments. It is a fresh introduction to media policy debates and a political perspective on the dynamics of the contemporary media.
The Politics of Media Policy provides a critical perspective on the dynamics of media policy in the US and UK and offers a comprehensive guide to some of the major points of debate in the media today. While many policymakers boast of the openness and pluralism of their media systems, this book exposes the commitment to market principles that saturates the media policy environment and distorts the development and application of democratic media policies.

Based on interviews with dozens of politicians, regulators, special advisers, lobbyists and campaigners, The Politics of Media Policy considers how governments, civil servants and media corporations have shaped the drawing up of rules concerning a range of issues including:

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• Media ownership
  
• Media content
  
• Public broadcasting
  
• Digital television
  
• Copyright
  
• Trade agreements affecting the media industries.