Media and Communications Policy Making

Abstract

This book is the consequence of my four decades of scholarly examination of media and communications policies embracing the disciplines of communica- tion, economics, law and policy, and political sociology. It led to faculty posi- tions in departments and research centers in communications, economics and political science. That interdisciplinary background and knowledge led to invi- tations to participate in government inquires, parliamentary hearings and administrative policy processes in dozens of countries on five continents and in several intergovernmental organizations. The intellectual and participatory journey accentuated the importance of the structures and processes in which policy is considered, the methods in which it is made and changed, the influences on its development and applica- tion, and the effectiveness of the policy choices. Although significant differ- ences existed in governments and processes that I encountered, I discovered commonalities even when forms of governance, political philosophies and social contexts differed significantly. That perception was reinforced by influ- ences from the emerging field of policy studies, which provided explanation and evidence about how policy initiatives develop and how policy is made.