Petros Iosifidis addresses an increasingly prominent subject area in the
field of media and communications, and one that has attracted increased
attention in areas such as sociology, economics, political science and
law: global media policy and regulation. Specifically, he considers the
wider social, political, economic and technological changes arising from
the globalization of the communications industries and assesses their
impact on matters of regulation and policy. By focusing on the
convergence of the communication and media industries, he makes
reference to the paradigmatic shift from a system based on the
traditions of public service in broadcast and telecommunications
delivery to one that is demarcated by commercialization, privatization
and competition. In doing so, Iosifidis tackles a key question in the
field: to what extent do new media developments require changes in
regulatory philosophy and objectives. It considers the various possible
meanings of the public interest concept in exploring the different
regulatory modes and the interplay between the local and the global in
policy-making.