Media policy in the 21st century: from national interest to cultural stewardship

Abstract

This essay provides a framework for understanding the twenty-first century dynamics of the global media economy. It has four central objectives: (1) explain the fundamental shift in media regulation engendered by neo-liberal globalization; (2) describe the operations of transnational commercial media enterprises and show how their practices and protocols have affected media institutions at the local, national, and regional levels; (3) identify issues that have risen to the forefront of media policy deliberations with respect to cultural expression and creative labor; and (4) elaborate an alternative policy perspective based on the principle of stewardship.