The IEL for Media Law intends to offer a country-by-country survey of media law throughout the world. It will survey each country's media landscape and analyse the laws governing press freedom, including those concerning access to information, defamation and privacy.

Each national monograph will outline the regulatory structures controlling print and electronic media (radio and television, but also new media, like online and mobile services) in these countries. Legal acts, case law, as well as ethical codes used by journalists, will be presented and analysed. Among the key issues to be covered are: digitalisation, convergence, the 'Information Society', cultural policy, freedom of speech, media concentration and pluralism, protection of minors, hate speech, the regulation of broadcasting and electronic communications markets, advertising rules, co- and self-regulation in online and mobile media, public service broadcasting, competition policy, access to digital gateways, standardisation and interoperability, liability of intermediaries. These issues will be addressed by describing the relevant legal rules in a thematic, logical and concise manner from a practitioner's viewpoint, offering media lawyers, journalists, attorneys, judges, teachers, students and others concerned with media and communication freedom a practical tool to access existing media law in a certain jurisdiction.

An international monograph will cover the freedom of speech provisions in various international treaties, thereby focussing on Article 10 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It will also offer an overview and description of the relevant conventions, declarations, recommendations and resolutions issued throughout the years by the Council of Europe (dealing with media pluralism, public broadcasting, journalistic sources, etc.). This monograph will also include a chapter dealing with the EU regulatory framework for audiovisual media (in particular the Television without Frontiers Directive, soon to be replaced by the Audiovisual Media Services Directive), against the background of the economic freedoms in the EC Treaty, as well as the relevant articles in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Each monograph will offer a comprehensive and clear overview of relevant legislation, case law and doctrine, and will hence constitute an invaluable reference source and easy-to-follow guide.

First countries included are: South Africa, Botswana, Belgium and Slovakia

For detailed information on all volumes of the Encyclopaedia, please visit: www.IELaws.com

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