Diversity, Distribution, and Definitions of ‘Media’

Abstract

Typically discussion around media pluralism has focused on the variety of content available to consume, using the tools of internal and external diversity: external diversity has been linked specifically to media ownership, and internal diversity to regulation. In reality, the boundaries are not so clear-cut. The focus of this chapter is on structural controls, whether seen as regulatory or competition-based: either by providing for specific limitations on media ownership, or by including pluralism or public interest considerations in the general merger regime. Although competition regimes themselves have changed — reflecting a greater emphasis on economic analysis alone — over the years there has been a preference towards general regimes and market-led approaches. Thus, Harastzi (2011, p. 9) argued that, ‘[i]n the digital and Internet era, with the number of accessible channels and audiovisual platforms multiplying by the year, urgency for detailed regulation — the bulk of which is aimed at avoiding political domination — will fade.’