Dr A Scott, NAB 6.25

This is an optional paper for the MSc Regulation, MSc Regulation (Research), LLM students, MSc Law and Accounting, MSc Media and Communications, MSc Media and Communications (Media and Communication Governance), MSc Media and Communications (Research), MPA (all streams), MSc Public Policy and Administration and MSc Public Policy and Administration (Research) and LSE-PKU Double Degree in Public Administration and Government.  Other MSc students may take the paper by arrangement.

This course is capped at 30 students. Students must apply through Graduate Course Choice on LSEforYou.

This course provides a comparative and generic introduction to key issues in the regulation of media and communications, focusing on economic and content regulation of print media, broadcasting, telecommunications and internet, and including problems relating to convergence of media and communications.

Economic regulation topics include: regulation and liberalization of telecommunications networks; spectrum allocation; licensing; public service broadcasting; cross-media ownership and general competition issues. Content regulation topics include: broadcasting and press standards; copyright; defamation; freedom of information; public interest regulation; data protection and interception of communications.

10 weekly two-hour seminars in a variable format: some lecture-discussions, some student-paper-led discussions, some debates and guest speakers where appropriate.

All students will submit one 1,500 word essay. Students will also be required to submit an essay plan and annotated bibliography for the assessed essay.

Gibbons, Regulating the Media, Chapter 1 (2nd edn, Sweet & Maxwell, 1998) Feintuck and Varney, Media Regulation, Public Interest and the Law, Chapter 1 (2006).

Gibbons, Regulating the Media (2nd edn, Sweet & Maxwell, 1998); Feintuck and Varney, Media Regulation, Public Interest and the Law (2nd edn, 2006); Goldberg, Prosser & Verhulst (Eds), Regulating the Changing Media: a Comparative Study (OUP, 1998); Fenwick and Phillipson, Media Freedom Under the Human Rights Act (OUP, 2006); Woods and Harrison, European Broadcasting Law and Policy (CUP, 2007).

One 8,000 word extended essay (100%). The extended essay will meet the LLM Writing Requirement.