Contrary to widespread rhetoric of deregulation, the media are objects of increased global policy. Generators of cultural spheres, within which social consensus is formed, the media are shaped by national and supranational agencies of questionable legitimacy. Policy delineates the form and content of global communications impinging on cultures, discourses and consciousness; yet, citizen representation in processes of policy-making remains fragmentary. In this insightful study, the author examines the role of the European Parliament, as the only international organisation directly accountable to and elected by citizens, in the formation of media policy. This critical account of supranational representation identifies the structural and ideological dynamics of powers in European media policy. Through detailed examination of major policies, the author demonstrates the conditions under which supranational representation can offer a resisting force to unaccountable global powers, and the ways in which it can contribute to system transformation and defend communication spaces.

How powerful are the news media? In what way do they operate as agents of social control, and to what extent is command of information necessary to gain and maintain power in this age of global communication. Agents of Power: The Media and Public Policy, Second Edition boldly explores these timely issues to emphasize the interdependence of mass media and politics in the United States and abroad. A "global" book about a "global" world on the brink of the twenty-first century, it focuses on actual political, economic, and cultural events. Updated and expanded topics in this major revision include: the social control function of the news media and the world wide interaction of media and politics from Washington to Moscow, from the newsroom to the board room; the growing power of the image-maker industry in manipulating media coverage of election campaigns and the course of public policy; and a history of the media; the frustrated search for a world information order; and current attempts to diversify newsrooms and news coverage.

This work examines the role and influence of the media in every sphere of American politics. Organized thematically, the book analyzes the relationship between the media and key institutions, political actors and nongovernmental entities, as well as the role of the new media, media ethics and foreign policy coverage. Written by leading scholars in the field, the chapters serve as broad overviews to the issues while discussion questions and suggestions for further reading encourage deeper inquiry. Designed to complement a wide variety of classes the book is a look at the pervasive influence of the media in American society.

Media and Power addresses three key questions about the relationship between media and society. *How much power do the media have? *Who really controls the media? *What is the relationship between media and power in society? In this major new book, James Curran reviews the different answers which have been given, before advancing original interpretations in a series of ground-breaking essays. This book also provides a guided tour of the major debates in media studies. What part did the media play in the making of modern society? How did 'new media' change society in the past? Will radical media research recover from its mid-life crisis? Is public service television the dying product of the nation in an age of globalization? Media and Power provides both a clear introduction to media research and an innovative analysis of media power.

For 25 years, members of the Euromedia Research Group have analyzed the connection between mass media, the public, and politics. On the basis of established and new theoretical approaches, this collection of papers by members of the Group examines the changes in the European media. It also looks at the European trends of central media-political concepts, such as media diversity, journalistic responsibility, and media governance.

The work of Jeremy Tunstall, one of the founding fathers of British media studies, is the inspiration behind Media Power, Professionals and Policies. In this collection of new work, leading international contributors address the central themes of Tunstall's work; the history, structures and practices of the international media industry, the relationship between media and government, and the sociology of labour in the media industry.

While policymakers in the world reiterate the importance of protecting voice diversity, traditional media conglomerates and new social media giants make their task increasingly challenging. This book assesses the current state of policy-making on media plurality and explores novel policy ideas for funding, regulatory and structural interventions.