Media Regulation: Why, How and to What End?

摘要

In a democracy the significance of the media as a primary information source cannot be over accentuated, but it cannot be denied on the fact that democracy requires citizens to be informed for an effective administration and governance within the ambit of egalitarianism. Undoubtedly, commercial and technology progress are continuously changing our perception, still both print and digital media play a vital role in opinion building. The administration and regulatory mechanisms are sort of adopted at various levels to improve the role of media, however the focal thrust of this paper is based on how the regulatory mechanisms are not adequate therefore again and again being refined and reformed. In essence, it is argued in this article that the rationales for regulation (why regulate?) and the objectives of regulation (with what end in mind?) have been insufficiently addressed. Hence, the sophisticated regulatory mechanisms are failed to sustain the clear goals of the mass media across the globe. With this in mind, it is both inevitable and proper that the focus of this study of media regulation is confined to a pre-eminently comparative analysis of media regulations across the world.