On AsiaMedia, James F. Paradise reviews the latest volume of China’s Media & Entertainment Law:
One way the Chinese government has attempted to control the media and entertainment industries has been through media and entertainment law. The laws — and all the other rules and regulations by which the media environment is shaped — state what is possible and what is not, define what classifies as acceptable content, outline licensing and investment requirements and deal with a whole host of other issues such as penalties for law violations. Some of the laws deal with the Chinese media environment in general, while others are applicable to foreign reporters or corporations.
To know exactly what the laws and other regulatory instruments are, there is probably no better place to turn for their presentation in English than this second volume of China’s Media & Entertainment Law. The book, which also includes the original Chinese texts, contains key legislation in six different areas — television, film, audiovisual products, print media, advertising and event management. Each section features commentary dealing with the history of the industry, the industry’s outlook and the current regulatory environment. The commentaries are written in a very authoritative way, and are useful both for their high level of detail and identification of broader trends. The book often seems geared towards foreign investors, but it will also be of interest to academics, journalists, government policymakers and others interested in the Chinese media and entertainment industries. [Full text]
