ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of how the British media industries are shaped by political choices, which ultimately reflect value judgements about the type of society we want to live in. Using examples from a range of different media sectors, two key areas of debate are discussed in turn: first, the regulation of media content (freedom of expression versus regulation to protect individuals and society from certain types of media content, e.g. violent and sexually explicit material); and second: the organisation of the media industries (free market competition versus the need for public intervention, e.g. public ownership, subsidies, laws and/or regulations).
