A diverse array of political, economic, social and cultural processes has traditionally shaped media and communication systems and their governance at the national level, rooted within territorial boundaries. Within a context of globalization, however, local and national media and communication systems have been forced to evolve, increasingly subject to transnational dimensions of media and communication policy. This trend has influenced the emergence of a global media and communication system that now mandates attention to new policy issues, innovative approaches to these issues, and consideration for the assortment of policy actors, processes and structures that support their governance. For example, the convergence of the media and telecommunications sector, shifting regulatory demands and changing communication needs affect policies that operate simultaneously at the local and global levels but which still pass through the national domain.
This course will cover key issues that arise in the context of new media policies in relation to emergent spaces for global media policy governance. These issues include the fundamental relationship between media policy and democracy, the role of civil society in shaping global media policy, as well as core topics such as internet governance, concentration of media ownership, access to technologies, intellectual property, communication rights and the role of media in reflecting cultural diversity.
The course will draw from a variety of policy, institutional, theoretical and analytic texts. Students will be encouraged to consider the utility and methods of mapping the shifting media policy landscape in order to critically reflect upon issues, opportunities and challenges for actors, processes and policy activities taking shape in the global arena.
View complete course outline: COMS627B2011 [.pdf]