Regulation and Censorship

Abstract

The term ‘institution’ is derived from sociology and ‘refers to the underlying principles and values according to which many social and cultural practices are organized and coordinated’ (O’Sullivan et al., 1994, p. 152). As we saw in Chapter 1, among the dominant social and cultural practices in our society are those associated with business. This chapter focuses on other practices important to Media Studies. These are mostly in the form of regulations that seek to constrain, in either a voluntary or a legal framework, both the content and business practices of media businesses. Public service broadcasting, which has had immense influence on television and radio in Britain, is considered in some detail; formal censorship is examined, as is the role of pressure groups and the effect of institutional values on production practices.