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The Media
Regulation of the Media
Political Science Textbooks Boundless Political Science The Media Regulation of the Media
Political Science Textbooks Boundless Political Science The Media
Political Science Textbooks Boundless Political Science
Political Science Textbooks
Political Science
Concept Version 6
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Regulation of the Media

Media of the United States consists of television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites.

Learning Objective

  • Describe the media landscape in the United States


Key Points

    • Many media are controlled by large for-profit corporations that reap revenue from advertising, subscriptions and sale of copyrighted material.
    • Critics allege that local news, media spending and coverage have suffered as a result of media concentration.
    • A media conglomerate, media group or media institution is a company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media.
    • Advertising regulation refers to the laws and rules defining the ways products can be advertised in a particular region. These rules can define a number of different aspects, including placement, timing and content.

Terms

  • regulation

    A law or administrative rule, issued by an organization, used to guide or prescribe the conduct of members of that organization; can specifically refer to acts in which a government or state body limits the behavior of businesses.

  • advertising regulation

    The laws and rules defining ways products can be advertised in a particular region.

  • media conglomerate

    A company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media including television, radio and publishing. Media conglomerates strive for policies that facilitate control of markets across the globe.


Example

    • The Walt Disney Company is America's largest media conglomerate in terms of revenue. News Corporation, Time Warner, Viacom and CBS Corporation round out the top 5.

Full Text

Introduction

Media of the United States consists of television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. The U.S. also has a strong music industry. Many of the media are controlled by large for-profit corporations that reap revenue from advertising, subscriptions and sale of copyrighted material.

American media conglomerates tend to be leading global players, generating large revenues as well as large opposition. Further deregulation and convergence is under way, leading to concentration of media ownership and the emergence of multinational media conglomerates. Critics allege that local news, media spending and coverage have suffered as a result of media concentration.

A media conglomerate is a company that owns large numbers of companies in various mass media including television, radio and publishing. Media conglomerates strive for policies that facilitate control of markets across the globe. According to the 2012 Fortune 500 list, The Walt Disney Company is America's largest media conglomerate in terms of revenue. News Corporation, Time Warner, Viacom and CBS Corporation round out the top 5. Other major players are NBCUniversal and Sony Corporation of America.

Advertising regulation refers to the laws and rules defining ways products can be advertised in a particular region . These rules can define a wide number of different aspects, including placement, timing and content. There are increasing efforts to regulate the content and influence of advertising. For example, the complete ban of advertising to children under 12 imposed by the Swedish government in 1991.

Advertisement

"Drink Coca-Cola 5ยข", an 1890s advertising poster showing a woman in fancy clothes drinking Coke. The card on the table says "Home Office, The Coca-Cola Co. Atlanta, Ga. Branches: Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Dallas". Notice the cross-shaped color registration marks near the bottom center and top center. Someone crudely wrote on it at lower left (with an apparent leaking fountain pen) "Our Faovrite" [sic].The women who modeled for this artwork was Hilda Clark

Though that regulation continues for broadcasts originating within the country, it has been weakened by the European Court of Justice, which found that Sweden was obliged to accept foreign programming. Greece's regulations are of a similar nature, "banning advertisements for children's toys between 7 am and 10 pm and a total ban on advertisement for war toys. " In the US, many communities believe that certain types of outdoor advertising blight the public realm. During the 1960s, there were attempts to ban billboard advertising in the open countryside.

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