The Politics of World Communication

Communication plays a central part in the increasing global interconnectedness of contemporary societies, nations and economies. Whether in entertainment and cultural exchange, or in business traffic and transborder data flows, communication on a world scale affects the fate of nation states and of individual lives. In The Politics of World Communication , Cees J. Hamelink examines the political processes and decisions that determine the global communication environment. Because it is central to the arena of world politics, governments, businesses and non-governmental organizations seek to influence the basis of communicative exchange. Mass communication, telecommunication, data traffic, intellectual property and communication technology have all been regulated by agreements within the intemational community. Examining negotiation processes and their outcomes, the author offers a comprehensive analysis of the global politics of communication and its implications for specific nations, areas and communities. Underlying the analysis is a fundamental concern with communication as an issue of human rights. Do the standards agreed on world communication address the interests of ordinary people in their everyday lives? With its unique insight into world communication politics, combined with a broad humanitarian perspective, this book will be invaluable to scholars and students of international communication, world politics, international law and human rights.