Media policy development: some trends in post-communist societies and post-apartheid South Africa

Abstract

Though the concept of national or centralized media or communication policies became increasingly unpopular in the West during the post-Cold War era, democratic countries still need to plan and execute policies regarding communication/ media issues. This is not only true in Western Europe and the USA where a new discussion regarding especially telecommunication is being conducted, but even more so in countries moving away from authoritarianism such as South Africa and those of Central and Eastern Europe, where totally new communication structures are unfolding (e.g. in South Africa developments at the SABC, bills for telecommunication, and for publication control, and the appointment of a communication task group; and in post-communist societies new media structures, multinational corporations; and the interaction between the media, political and market forces). The authors do realize that South Africa and post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe are different societies with vast disparities between them. However, they endeavor to show that certain tendencies in media policy development in post-communist societies since 1989 could find relevant application in South Africa where new policies and structures are being contemplated within broader development schemes.