Defining Regulation; Regulation Styles; International Regulatory Structure, Enforcement and Complication.
MEDIA
The term Media refers to any form of communication that serves as a medium in society – and this includes verbal and non-verbal communication.
REGULATION
ALTHOUGH a number of definitions of regulation have been put forward by a number of scholars, Baldwin, R et al (1999) have suggested that regulation is a legislative act which becomes immediately enforceable as law to all members simultaneously.
This has been supported by Gripsrud, J (2000) who explained that regulation therefore entails balancing competing economic, social and political interests of various groups and it can be governmental or non-governmental or both.
Thus, governmental regulation is juridical- that is - it is where governments enact laws to control/govern a particular activity and non-governmental regulation can be through voluntary regulation or through pressure groups.
For better understanding, regulation can be distinguished from directives – which need to be transposed through legislation into national law – to become regulation.
Regulation can also be distinguished from policies – which are encouraged rather than enforced by authorities through various arms of the executive.
Policies, according to Mazango and Chiumbu (2000) are long term plans and/or decisions created to deal with specific issues in a general way.
The specific issues may be at the level of the individual, organization, national or international – they may also be written or unwritten.
Regulation can also be distinguished from ethics which borders more on one’s ability to consciously know what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong – and a strong understanding of norms, values and standards of a given people in which one is part.
From this, regulation therefore refers to an effort towards controlling human or societal behavior by rules or restrictions....