Kristina Irion's co-edited book, The Independence of the Media and Its Regulatory Agencies published

Schulz, Wolfgang, Valcke, Peggy & Irion, Kristina (eds.) (2013), The Independence of the Media and Its Regulatory Agencies, in: Carpentier, Nico & Heinderyckx, François (eds.), European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA) Book Series, Bristol UK/Chicago USA, Intellect, 390 p.

Media independence is vital for democracies, and so is the independence of the regulatory bodies governing it. The Independence of the Media and its Regulatory Agencies explores the complex relationship between media governance and independence of media regulatory authorities within Europe, which form part of the wider framework in which media’s independence may flourish or fade. Based on research in more than forty countries, the contributions analyse the independence of regulators and draw links between social, financial, and legal frameworks. The contributing authors offer theoretical perspectives that combine law and public policy; review research methods; and offer a set of case studies that explore how the national socio-political context influences local institutions. As a whole, the book offers an accessible and relevant account of research into regulatory independence as applied to the audiovisual media sector in Europe.

The book is based on research carried out in the context of the INDIREG and MEDIADEM projects (http://www.indireg.eu/, resp. http://www.mediadem.eliamep.gr/about/).

More information: http://www.ecrea.eu/publications/bookseries

Endorsements:

'What better way to ensure the independence of the supervisee than with guaranteeing the independence of the supervisor? A must-read on a topic unfortunately never out of fashion’.
Jean-François Furnémont, Chairman of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA) 

‘Independent agencies are at the heart of media regulation in Europe. This volume offers an exceptionally wide-ranging and rigorous analysis of the independence of these agencies in practice and the implications for the sector’. 
Mark Thatcher, Professor of Comparative and International Politics, The London School of Economics and Political Science