Media in the digital age: Regulatory aspects

Abstract

The huge impact of digital technology has led to reconsidering the concept of the media. In theory, there is a common agreement about the new concept of the media, offered by Karol Jakubowicz (2009), which includes new content forms, new creators of content, and new media activities. Starting from this conception of the media, the European regulatory framework redefines many earlier solutions in its documents. A significant change is the "broadening" of the media concept that now includes Internet publications. On the other hand, editorial responsibility is a necessary condition for the website to be considered as a medium, and this requirement is defined in European media policy documents. The phenomena created as a result of the new digital environment pose significant challenges for media regulation. The Internet has enabled the direct participation of citizens who set up online content using new distribution channels; among other things, it leads to weakening the boundaries between the public and the private sphere. New intermediaries are entering the media sphere, such as Internet browsers and Internet content aggregators, which perform some media functions and functions similar to the media. The paper analyzes the solutions offered by European media regulations and Serbian legislation in this field.