Plurality and Media Power: new policy approaches to protecting the public interest in the 21st century

在世界上大多数成熟的民主国家，维护媒体多元化已成为一个重大的政治和监管问题。随着强大的媒体企业在不利的经济环境中寻求整合，政府正在努力防止过多的媒体权力集中在少数人手中。在过去的两年里，我们在英国看到了企业权力增长的生动例子，政策制定者显然不愿意（或不能）进行干预，以及现有政策和监管制度未能保护公众利益。莱韦森调查的证据已经为所提出的问题提供了丰富的证据。这个项目将在近代政治史上最关键的决策关头之一解决这些问题。莱韦森报告将于2012年秋季公布，随后将进行为期2-3年的立法程序，其中将包括关于媒体多元化新框架的重大政策辩论。除此之外，这一框架将如何在长期内运作的影响，该研究旨在促进更有效，更雄心勃勃，更以公民为中心的政策在这一领域，因此，动画和通知当前的政策思维以及政策和监管环境，将遵循。拟议中的研究员Steven巴内特教授在这一领域进行了20多年的研究，并为部长和议会委员会提供了建议。由于他对政策制定过程的深入了解，他在最高层对所有关键的政治、工业和监管人物都非常熟悉。通过一系列针对关键利益相关者的访谈、研讨会和活动，包括传统上不参与政策对话的群体，该项目将产生新的和创新的想法，并将有助于扩大围绕媒体多元化的议程，这将纳入立法关键目标有三个方面。第一，评估定义和衡量多元化的不同方法，以及新媒体和融合媒体带来的挑战;第二，审查现行政策制度的缺陷，并提出更强有力的政策框架的想法;第三，评估新的和现有的结构性举措或解决方案的想法，这些举措或解决方案可能利用新媒体的机会来促进多元化。首先，它将分析莱韦森调查的书面和口头意见中的宝贵信息和想法。第二，将采访12位参与最近关于多元化和公共利益的政策辩论的主要政治、监管和行业人士。第三，将举行一系列的六次研讨会，其中一次在苏格兰，一次在威尔士，还有一次包括该地区的欧洲专家。在每一阶段，约有20名学者、监管者、政治家、决策者和民间社会代表将讨论关键的研究问题，并对前两个阶段产生的想法作出回应，研究结果将通过计划的一系列网络活动以及两本书、会议和一个专门网站传播。这些活动将针对主要的政治家和决策者，如特别顾问、高级公务员和管理人员;媒体业行政人员和伞式团体;民间社会团体;以及来自媒体、法律和政治的学者，除了研讨会和联网活动的收益外，产出还将包括一本80 000字的专著（已委托编写）、会议文件和一本经过编辑的论文集。该项目将涉及一名兼职博士后研究助理，他将充分参与研讨会和网络活动，将共同撰写会议论文，并将协助制作编辑的集合。

In most mature democracies around the world, preserving media plurality has become a major political and regulatory issue. As powerful media enterprises seek to consolidate in a hostile economic environment, governments are struggling to prevent too much media power becoming concentrated in too few hands. At risk is the diversity of voice and editorial output which are the lifeblood of a healthy democracy.In the UK over the last 2 years, we have seen vivid examples of this accretion of corporate power, the apparent unwillingness (or inability) of policy-makers to intervene, and the failure of existing policy and regulatory regimes to protect the public interest. Evidence to the Leveson Inquiry has provided abundant testimony of the problems being posed.This project will address these issues at one of the most crucial junctures of policy-making in recent political history. Publication of the Leveson report in Autumn 2012 will be followed by a 2-3 year legislative process which will include major policy debates on a new framework for media plurality. Beyond that, there will be implications for how this framework will operate in the longer term.The research is designed to promote more effective, more ambitious and more citizen-focussed policies in this area, and therefore to animate and inform current policy thinking as well as the policy and regulatory environment which will follow. The proposed Research Fellow, Prof Steven Barnett, has conducted research in this area for over 20 years, and has advised ministers and Parliamentary committees. Because of his immersion in the policy process, he is well acquainted at the highest levels with all the key political, industrial and regulatory figures.Through a series of interviews, seminars and events aimed at key stakeholders, including groups who are not traditionally part of the policy conversation, this project will generate new and innovative ideas and will contribute to a broadening agenda around media plurality which will feed into the legislative process.The key objectives are threefold. First, to assess different approaches to defining and measuring plurality, and the challenges posed by new and convergent media; second, to examine the drawbacks of the current policy regime, and to propose ideas for a more robust policy framework; third, to evaluate new and existing ideas for structural initiatives or solutions which might exploit new media opportunities to promote plurality.Research will be conducted in three ways. First, it will analyse the wealth of valuable information and ideas in written and oral submissions to the Leveson Inquiry. Second, interviews will be held with 12 leading political, regulatory and industry figures involved in recent policy debates around plurality and the public interest. Third, a series of six seminars will be convened, including one in Scotland, one in Wales, and one including European experts in the area. In each one, a group of around 20 academics, regulators, politicians, policy-makers and representatives of civil society will address the key research questions and respond to ideas generated during the first two stages.Results of the research will be disseminated through a planned series of networking events as well as through two books, conferences and a dedicated website. Events will be directed at key politicians and policy-makers such as special advisers, senior civil servants and regulators; media industry executives and umbrella groups; civil society groups; and academics from media, law and politics.As well as proceeds from the seminars and networking events, outputs will include an 80,000 word monograph (already commissioned), conference papers, and an edited collection of essays. The project will involve a part-time post-doctoral Research Assistant who will be fully involved in the seminars and networking events, will co-author conference papers, and will assist in producing the edited collection.