Publisher's Synopsis
This book is a melting pot of a range of debates and ideas around media policy-making in Southern Africa over the past few decades, with a collection of scholars from various research traditions and diverse corners of the globe. Ideal for the media policy enthusiast as well as for students and the public in general, the book combines a diverse body of research into a single volume, covering media reform in Southern Africa and the rest of the world. A great deal of continuity and change have characterised media and communication policy-making in Southern Africa over the past two decades. Rapid political and economic developments spawned the adoption of ‘second generation' reforms aimed at opening up the media to diverse and pluralistic interests in the context of ongoing democratisation projects. Moving from regional case studies that examine the political economy of media reform over a period covering roughly two decades, the collection concludes with a look into the future, taking stock of what has been ‘hit and missed' and at the possibilities for transcending the current uncertain phase. The aim is to expand the mediated public sphere, and to take the debate on media reforms to a new level following a certain degree of policy ‘maturation'. A major strength of this book is that it focuses on policy-making in various media sectors, including broadcasting, print and the new information and communications technologies (ICTs).
