Consumer-orientated regulation is designed to encourage media plurality and to ensure that a diversity of broadcasters operate within the media landscape. It is a regulatory system in which choices regarding content are largely devolved to audiences and where media makers are given as much freedom as possible to make the media that audiences want to consume.

Citizen based regulatory systems outline a civic role for the media and encourage media makers to produce content that contributes to the social and cultural health of the societies in which they operate.

What impact did the 2003 Communications Act have on media regulation?

The 2003 Communications Act was designed by the British Labour government in order to create modern Regulatory System’s within the UK and help the television industry become competitive with the globalized media landscape. This means that independent television production companies were freed up in order to create content that was more commercially viable, resulting in a more Consumer based regulatory system.

What is the drawback of a self-regulated system?

If Media companies do their own self-regulation than it may be easy for them to act within their own interests which is not always within the public’s interest.

What is the difference between consumer-orientated regulation and citizen-based regulation?

Consumer-orientated regulation is initially designed to encourage media plurality and to ensure that a diversity of broadcasters operate within the media landscape.

Livingstone and Lunt argue that citizen-based regulation provides a content focused framework that directs media makers to “contribute to the enrichment of cultural and social life and the potential for self-development of individuals, groups and communities”.

In other words…citizen-based regulation takes everyone into account.

What impact did the 2003 Communications Act have on media regulation?

Communications Act designed by Labour government in order to modernise the UK’s regulatory systems and help UK TV industry to become more competitive in globalised media landscape of late 20th century. The Communications Act significantly diluted public service requirements of TV broadcasting. Independent TV production companies were freed up to produce content that was more commercially viable. This resulted in production of programming lacking civic-minded republicanism that had been fostered within previous regulatory frameworks.

What is the drawback of a self-regulatory system?

Most media organisations construct their own self-regulations which isn’t beneficial and doesn’t help to resolve issues (possibly put forward by members of the public) regarding their media.