The work of Jeremy Tunstall, one of the founding fathers of British media studies, is the inspiration behind Media Power, Professionals and Policies. In this collection of new work, leading international contributors address the central themes of Tunstall's work; the history, structures and practices of the international media industry, the relationship between media and government, and the sociology of labour in the media industry. Divided into themed sections Media Power, Professionals and Policies explores: * aspects of media policy, from the history of press reform to merger mania in the United States * the idea of media power, tracing the development of mass communications research and addressing contemporary issues such as digital communication and the production of knowledge * the management of the media, from the emergence of information policing in the 17th century to Labour's reform of Downing Street press practices, the use of negative political advertising and the role of news media in contemporary conflicts * the role of journalists, their professional autonomy and their relationship with newspaper and tv proprietors * international media operations, from international news agencies and satellite television, to the impact of information technology in the US on audience knowledge of the outside world. Oliver Boyd-Barrett, James Curran, Winston Fletcher, Simon Frith, Hanno Hardt, Michael Harris, Stephen Hess, The Brookings Institution, Kurt Lang, Gladys Lang, Stuart Macdonald, Denis McQuail, Univers