Hot Topic - EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS)
News media has been talking about Brexit - the UK leaving the European Union - for what seems forever. Much has been written and spoken on this subject. Much of that, foreign and domestic, has been fake news, particularly ahead of the infamous referendum. It is the peril of the post-truth age. Brexit was founded on fear, loathing and a large dose of misinformation. Reality as the deadline looms large is guaranteed of disruption.
Ask a person to close their eyes and think of culture their senses are likely drawn to memories; usually pleasant or comforting and always emotional. People adopt culture based on ethnicity, geography and whatever spiritual context is relevant. It is learned and represents an inherent identity. We think of works of art, languages, even behaviors as culturally significant.
Revising media rules from the depths of the last century for today’s digital consumer preferences challenges the best and brightest legal minds. There is great and valuable logic in adapting what has gone before, not to forget warm fuzzy comfort. But rule makers are inevitably frustrated when the world changes before the ink dries on their latest remedy. A linear process disintegrates in complexity.
There have been rumbles, off and on for some time, concerning the effect of Brexit on the UK’s media sector. Brexit is, for those sleeping soundly for the last couple of years, is the popular handle for the process of the UK leaving the European Union (EU). It began officially this week and will be negotiated over the next two years, perhaps longer.
Repurposing rules for the digital age is, at best, a tedious, time consuming job. But necessity is the mother of regulation. The media sector is particularly susceptible to digital anxieties in the midst of competition unforeseen only a few years ago, or moments, as the case seems to be. Those designing new media rules are sensitive to this. Competitive advantage is always suspect, though not well understood.
"When an American sees a beautiful sports car on the street he says to himself, I'm going to work hard and get one of those," to paraphrase Australian billionaire media owner, the late Kerry Packer, quoted some thirty years ago. "When a European sees that car he thinks, how am I going to get that guy out of that car." New evidence of this arrives daily.
There’s a reason politicians need to be kept a safe distance from media regulators. Actually, there are several. Tempted as they are by everything, politicians like rules administered conveniently. Interests must be served. And so many politicians reward themselves for electoral success with a hammer, terms in office spent searching for a nail.
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Media in Spain - Diverse and Challenged – new
Media in Spain is steeped in tradition. yet challenged by diversity. Publishers hold great influence, broadcasters competing. New media has been slow to rise and business models for all are under stress. Rich in language and culture, Spain's media is reaching into the future and finding more than expected. 123 pages, PDF. January 2018
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The Campaign Is On - Elections and Media
Elections campaigns are big media events. Candidates and issues are presented, analyzed and criticized in broadcast and print. Media is now more of a participant in elections than ever. This ftm Knowledge file reports on news coverage, advertising, endorsements and their effect on democracy at work. 84 pages. PDF (September 2017)
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Fake News, Hate Speech and Propaganda
The institutional threat of fake news, hate speech and propaganda is testing the mettle of those who toil in news media. Those three related evils are not new, by any means, but taken together have put the truth and those reporting it on the back foot. Words matter. This ftm Knowledge file explores that light. 48 pages, PDF (March 2017)
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