The Pursuit of Pluralism: Lessons from the New French Audiovisual Communications Law

62 Pages Posted: 19 Jan 2009

See all articles by Michael I. Meyerson

Michael I. Meyerson

University of Baltimore - School of Law

Date Written: 1985

Abstract

Electronic mass communications, which have become increasingly influential over the past quarter century, have also undergone rapid and profound technological change. Constitutional governments around the world have struggled to apply their fundamental legal principals to the electronic media through sensible and balanced regulation. Perhaps the central problem in such regulation is to protect truth in the media, mainly by encouraging diversity, without allowing the regulators themselves to exert undue influence over what is disseminated over the airwaves and cables of a country's communications infrastructure. The following article traces the history of France's attempts to solve this problem in its electronic media law, analyzes the most recent reform of French law and suggests some possibilities for applying the lessons of the French experience to U.S. regulation of electronic media.

Keywords: electronic media, mass communications, technological change, regulation

JEL Classification: K23, K33, K39

Suggested Citation

Meyerson, Michael I., The Pursuit of Pluralism: Lessons from the New French Audiovisual Communications Law (1985). Stanford Journal of International Law, Vol. 21, No. 95, 1985, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1326629

Michael I. Meyerson (Contact Author)

University of Baltimore - School of Law ( email )

1420 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
United States

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