Refereed Studies
Guarantee of “Editorial freedom” and its Ideal form in the Digital Age: Based on the Media Policy in Norway
2023 Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 35-51
Details
2023 Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 35-51
This paper examines the guarantee of editorial freedom and its ideal form in the digital age. With regard to editorial freedom, in Norway, its guarantee has been actively discussed in the context of media policy. Therefore, this paper first clarifies the significance of studying editorial freedom today. Then, while analyzing Norwegian media policies related to editorial freedom, I attempt to identify and discuss some universally important senses that can serve as a reference for media studies in Japan.
As for editorial freedom in Norway, the paper points out that there are three directions. Namely, (1) to guarantee (legislate) the editorial freedom enjoyed by editors and to strengthen the principle of editorial independence, (2) to support and subsidize media that fulfill democratic functions, and (3) to clarify the responsibilities associated with the exercise of editorial privilege.
On the basis of the discussion of these directions, this paper first argues that there is room for government involvement in editorial freedom, taking into account the media environment as a whole. However, it confirms that the institutional design should be carefully considered. Second, from the perspective of the overall design of the media environment, it is noted that subsidy regimes for editorial media can be effective if they are designed in such a way that editorial independence is not violated. Particularly, I argue that it is important to implement the guarantee of editorial freedom and the subsidization of editorial media linked to it as a set. Third, regarding the discussion of responsibility, this paper discusses the possibility of collaboration between media and online platforms and the design of redress systems for online, confirming the importance of clarifying the responsibilities that accompany the exercise of freedom. This paper argues that such an approach to editorial freedom enables the Japanese press to play a democratic role.
