| This paper
seeks to do three things. Firstly it outlines, contextualises and critiques
the development of the media policy of the Labour Government in the UK since
1997. Secondly, it explores the ways in which this policy marks a decisive
shift away from public service models of media regulation. Thirdly it discusses
the degree to which there are realistic strategies that can be pursued to
develop more progressive, democratically orientated ways of organising the
media. In dealing with these topics the paper seeks to highlight the need
to develop an historically grounded critique of Labour media policy in order
to create a basis for strategies for reform. It seeks to criticise those
more optimistic accounts of Labour policy which stress the way in which
it has 'defended the BBC and elements of public service broadcasting, whilst
at the same time examining the various strategies which have been espoused
for effecting more democratic reform of media policy. |
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