A 'public service internet' - to what extent is the 'public service' intervention in UK broadcasting applicable to contemporary policy on digital plat
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Westminster
Department Name: Westminster Sch of Media & Communication
Abstract
There are several key interventions that have been developed in UK media policy, designed to prevent a concentration of media power and the promotion of a healthy media system that supports key democratic purposes - democratic engagement, civic discourse and access to accurate information. In particular, public service broadcasting has been a dominant theme in UK media policy since the creation of the BBC in 1922 and subsequent legislation since. I will seek to examine whether the objectives that have underpinned the UK's approach to public service broadcasting policy can inform the current debate around tech regulation and platform governance. Can the objectives and mechanisms that support UK public service media be adapted to apply to a 'public service internet'?
The UK has a robust tradition of treating media as a 'public good' and developing policies that promote this. In particular, this has included a robust system of public service media, with one of the highest levels of publicly funded media in the world, supported by commercially funded public service broadcasters such as the publicly owned Channel 4. Policies designed to foster media plurality, such as media ownership rules, have also been carefully guarded in order to maintain a diverse and independent media ecosystem.
In contrast, policymakers are only now grappling with how to approach platform regulation, long after the platforms have come to dominate their markets, public discourse and access to information. Policy discussions have so far centred on two areas - digital competition and online 'harms'. While these are important elements, they do not fully capture the full suite of civic, democratic and public implications of the dominance of digital platforms - the broader suite of benefits that public service media is intended to deliver in a broadcasting environment. There is therefore merit in exploring whether there are learnings from the UK's broader approach to media policy that can be applied to platform regulation.
This research project will take a historical overview of the UK's approach to media policy in the UK and its key principles, most notably the key objectives and rationale for intervention outlined for public service broadcasting from the period between 1962 to present day. It will then review their potential applications to platform regulation in the UK. This is more complex than simply modernising regulations for the existing public service broadcasters such as BBC or Channel 4 - but a reimagining of what public media is for and should be in an age dominated by monopoly platforms. The intention is that this project will be relevant beyond academia - it is intended to be rooted in, and relevant to, the work of policymakers.
My primary research will include interviews with current and former policymakers within DCMS, Ofcom and Parliamentarians and analysis of historical archives relating to UK public service broadcasting policy. I will also conduct a literature review of approaches to digital dominance both in the UK and internationally (particularly in the US). It will conclude by examining alternative models for platform regulation, based on UK media policy - including the creation of a 'public service internet'.
The UK has a robust tradition of treating media as a 'public good' and developing policies that promote this. In particular, this has included a robust system of public service media, with one of the highest levels of publicly funded media in the world, supported by commercially funded public service broadcasters such as the publicly owned Channel 4. Policies designed to foster media plurality, such as media ownership rules, have also been carefully guarded in order to maintain a diverse and independent media ecosystem.
In contrast, policymakers are only now grappling with how to approach platform regulation, long after the platforms have come to dominate their markets, public discourse and access to information. Policy discussions have so far centred on two areas - digital competition and online 'harms'. While these are important elements, they do not fully capture the full suite of civic, democratic and public implications of the dominance of digital platforms - the broader suite of benefits that public service media is intended to deliver in a broadcasting environment. There is therefore merit in exploring whether there are learnings from the UK's broader approach to media policy that can be applied to platform regulation.
This research project will take a historical overview of the UK's approach to media policy in the UK and its key principles, most notably the key objectives and rationale for intervention outlined for public service broadcasting from the period between 1962 to present day. It will then review their potential applications to platform regulation in the UK. This is more complex than simply modernising regulations for the existing public service broadcasters such as BBC or Channel 4 - but a reimagining of what public media is for and should be in an age dominated by monopoly platforms. The intention is that this project will be relevant beyond academia - it is intended to be rooted in, and relevant to, the work of policymakers.
My primary research will include interviews with current and former policymakers within DCMS, Ofcom and Parliamentarians and analysis of historical archives relating to UK public service broadcasting policy. I will also conduct a literature review of approaches to digital dominance both in the UK and internationally (particularly in the US). It will conclude by examining alternative models for platform regulation, based on UK media policy - including the creation of a 'public service internet'.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Alessandro D'Arma (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Helen Jay (Student) |