Self- and co-regulation: evidence, legitimacy and governance choice

2013

Michael Latzer /

Just, Natascha /

Saurwein, Florian

In: Price, Monroe E. / Verhulst, Stefaan G. / Morgan, Libby (Eds.): Routledge Handbook of Media Law. Routledge: Abingdon / New York, 373-397.

The combination of globalization, liberalization and convergence of communication markets has triggered major changes in the governance arrangement of the communications sector, including the growing role of alternative modes of regulation (e.g., self- and co-regulation). These alternatives to traditional statutory regulation are marked by a stronger involvement of non-governmental actors in regulatory processes. Both industry and policymakers consider alternative modes of regulation to have great potential for solving contemporary problems of communications regulation. The increase in alternative regulatory institutions, their potential advantages and disadvantages as compared to state regulation, and challenges of governance choice between available modes of regulation have led to an increasing political and scientific interest in self- and co-regulation. This chapter brings together central findings from research on alternative modes of regulation in the convergent communications sector, focusing on results regarding evidence, legitimacy and governance choice.