Media Regulation in the Public Interest

Abstract

The growth of a complex system of regulation of various industries, including the mass media, on grounds of a supposed public interest, has been evident since the early twentieth century. As indicated in the previous chapter, historically societies have extended the concept of public interest to cover free or inexpensive public services such as universal education, the preservation of public amenities, environmental protection, state- or municipality-run transportation, to name but a few. Melody’s (1990) account of the public interest in the emerging information society refers to the historical notion of certain industries being recognized in law and custom as ‘business affected with a public interest’. These were often connected with transport and other public utilities, in which monopoly conditions were likely to arise and where needs for service were likely to be pressing. In these circumstances, public regulation was often applied in order to ensure equity, efficiency, and fair and adequate provision to all at reasonable prices. In certain countries and regions, for example, there has long been a public interest argument in favor of municipality-run buses: in order to ensure that people at all levels of income enjoy cheap and reliable transport (Smith, 1989).