Review of: Marketing in the Metaverse: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Trends in Emerging Economies , Abu Bashar, Brighton Nyagadza and Mohammad Wasiq (eds) (2026) London: Palgrave MacMillan, 456 pp., ISBN 978-3-03202-365-0, e-book, EUR 149.79
Video games are among the main entry points to the Metaverse and offer a glimpse of its possible realization, thereby serving as a useful arena for discussing and anticipating policy frameworks. This article analyses three well-known and diverse metaversal games – Fortnite , Minecraft and Guild Wars 2 – at two levels. At the surface, the analysis focuses on the narratives that unfold across interaction while transmitting values and shaping the gamer’s subjectivities in forms that transcend the game arena. At a more infrastructural level, we analyse the terms of service, which coalesce from the companies’ histories and their efforts to balance economic profit and fair participation. This analysis aims to explore a series of issues contemplated in the EU Declaration of Digital Rights and Principles and identified in the previous review of grey literature produced by governmental or well-established non-governmental institutions. From a humanities perspective on Metaverse policy, this article considers metaversal games as potential participatory spaces for collectively proposing a more ethical and diverse Metaverse.
This article examines how the metaverse’s promise of immersion is being actualized in cultural and creative industries through extended reality technologies. Following Meta’s 2021 rebranding and the subsequent retreat of metaverse discourse, we analyse how XR creations persist through alternative pathways. Drawing on 33 interviews with industry professionals in France and Canada, alongside observation of immersive installations, we investigate the emergence of an industry without a market, a sector characterized by significant production activity but uncertain economic viability. Using actor-network theory and market agencements approaches, we demonstrate how hybrid public–private funding mechanisms function as governance devices that shape innovation pathways. Our analysis reveals that market consolidation relies on three distinct yet interdependent audiences: lead users who experiment with emerging technologies, professional intermediaries (festivals, specialized media and collective organizations) who legitimize and circulate works, and the public targeted through Location-Based Entertainment venues. The article contributes to understanding how cultural industries navigate technological uncertainty, constructing markets through iterative experimentation rather than established business models, revealing broader tensions between artistic ambition, technical constraints and economic sustainability in digital cultural production.
As corporations, brands and digital platforms increasingly invest in these interconnected spaces, the metaverse is fast becoming a major field for content creation, engagement and commercialization. At the same time, these transformations raise pressing questions about governance, regulatory oversight and power relations within emerging digital ecosystems and markets. This Special Issue of the Journal of Digital Media & Policy explores the importance of the intersections of digital media, policy and the metaverse. The contributions assess how digital media industry structures participation, govern virtual environments and monetize user engagement through immersive marketing, influencer cultures and data-driven strategies. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, the issue highlights the rising need for regulatory frameworks capable of balancing technological innovation with transparency, accountability and user agency in the rapidly expanding metaverse landscape.
The study aims to analyse the features of state regulation in the information sphere of Kazakhstan and to assess its impact on the development and functioning of regional media. The study identifies key stages in the evolution of national information policy and the mechanisms through which it influences regional media outlets. A sociological survey involving 100 representatives from regional authorities across six regions of Kazakhstan – Akmola, Aktobe, Almaty, Atyrau, Karaganda and Kostanay – helps establish the geographical and structural features of the impact of state policy. In-depth interviews highlight three primary functions of regional media: political communication, cooperation with government bodies and educational outreach. The evaluation results show that the public oversight function received the highest rating (7.9), while educational activity scored the lowest (5.2). The survey further indicates perceptual differences regarding the role of mass media between senior officials and mid-level civil servants, indicating internal differentiation in approaches to information policy. The findings suggest that in the digital age, the information policy of Kazakhstan must strike a balance between information security and freedom of expression. The practical value lies in the potential application of these results for refining information policy amidst ongoing digital transformations.
AI has a material presence in our world in different forms, but is often interpreted in media and industry commentary as though it were a singular almost magical entity incapable of being grasped by regulatory structures. Similarly, regulation is treated both as the opposite of or as an inhibitor of innovation, almost as a static and unbending text, rather than a social construct, subject to debate and challenge, struggle and resistance. These simplistic representations are subject to and reinforced by the discursive power of 'Big Tech' companies. Instead, we need a more material understanding of AI, and a more fluid understanding of regulation and the social and cultural processes underpinning it, recognizing that AI is already subject to regulation. This article examines four different phases of approaches to regulation of AI in the United Kingdom, a legislature where there has been considerable discussion of regulatory approaches and needs over time, as well as an active focus on the promotion of initiatives to support technological development, including in AI. Instead of a binary debate between regulation and innovation, there is a need for a nuanced approach which considers AI and its regulation in a wider material context.
This article examines a significant paradox within the global AI policy landscape, which is the proliferation of AI policies by nation states vs. the perception that national regulation of global technologies like AI is largely ineffective. While the United States, China and the European Union have been claimed to be 'Digital Empires' shaping AI governance, this study focuses on the approaches of two middle-sized nations, the United Kingdom and Australia. Both countries, outside the 'Digital Empires', have historically been significant policy agents in the global digital space and are developing distinctive AI policy frameworks. Through a qualitative content analysis of six generative AI (GenAI) policy documents from 2021 to 2024, the article identifies shared policy foundations-commitment to domestic AI sector growth and recognition of AI's transformative potential-but highlights divergences in leadership aspirations and implementation methodologies. The United Kingdom prioritizes AI research , industrial dominance with aspirational objectives, while Australia focuses on trustworthiness, safety and accountability through practical measures and integration with existing governance instruments. This study contributes to understanding the global AI policy landscape by examining how middle powers navigate AI governance amidst the influence of global tech giants and the major AI powers.
With the adoption of the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, Artificial Intelligence Act and European Media Freedom Act, the European Union has established an ambitious regulatory framework to oversee digital platforms and AI systems. This article maps the governance stakeholders involved in the operationalization of these four instruments and examines their distribution of powers and responsibilities. Building on existing typologies of platform governance and regulatory space theory, we introduce an analytical framework that foregrounds three structural elements-competencies, capacities and connectedness-alongside eight regulatory functions, ranging from agenda-setting to enforcement and discourse shaping. We then operationalize this framework in the context of the standardization ecosystem, highlighting the growing prominence of standardization bodies as central actors in multi-stakeholderism. Our analysis shows that, despite the promises of multi-stakeholderism for more democratic and cooperative governance configurations, in practice this approach often disregards material power asymmetries. This reality privileges technocratic expertise and industry stakeholders over public-interest actors, ultimately hindering a more equitable and democratic governance paradigm. We conclude by arguing that pursuing strategic autonomy, as the European Union boasts, requires reducing the regulatory power of private actors and strengthening capacities of actors normatively and materially grounded in the public interest.
The rise of artificial intelligence and immersive journalism promises engaging storytelling but also deepens platform dependence, economic fragility and ethical uncertainty for news media. This article compares six policy pathways that could rebalance power in the digital information environment: public-interest AI grants, alternative revenue schemes, regulatory sandboxes, decentralized infrastructures, algorithmic transparency mandates and deepfake accountability policies. Drawing on cases from the European Union, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, it evaluates how each mechanism addresses editorial autonomy, financial resilience and public trust. Findings suggest that layered, reinforcing policies are essential: grants and revenue redistribution provide resources for experimentation, sandboxes and transparency rules align technological design with societal values, while decentralization and content verification enhance authenticity and pluralism. The study concludes that policy coherence, cross-sector coordination and assessment are pre-conditions for ensuring that algorithmic and immersive technologies serve democratic communication within an increasingly saturated information landscape.
Global AI governance is taking on geopolitical dimensions as major powers pursue divergent regulatory models. In this context of normative fragmentation-visible both in intra-G7 divergences and in potential tensions between G7-led frameworks and sovereignty-emphasizing approaches advanced by other major actors-this article analyses Japan's diplomatic role. The article conceptualizes Japan's strategy as 'bridge-weaving diplomacy' and examines its two-stage process. First, it 'bridged' divergent approaches within the G7 to forge an interoperable consensus-the Hiroshima AI Process (HAIP)-in cooperation with other member states. Second, it has sought to 'weave' this consensus beyond the G7 into a more inclusive framework, notably through the establishment of the HAIP Friends Group, as well as its cooperative postures towards other nations including ASEAN countries. Drawing on an analysis of events from 2023 to 2025, official sources and interviews with key informants, the article argues that this approach can be taken as a critical enabling role in mitigating normative fragmentation while enhancing the legitimacy of a governance model grounded in liberal-democratic principles (human rights, rule of law and multi-stakeholder participation), amidst potential structural tensions with state-sovereignty-oriented approaches. Japan's case provides a granular analysis of middle-power statecraft amid geopolitical competition, offering a new perspective on debates surrounding norm formation.
This report covers the International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) conference 2025 at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. It provides a snapshot of papers from more than 350 parallel sessions under the theme 'Communicating Environmental Justice: Many Voices, One Planet'. These reflections from three attendees identify key themes that emerged across the assembled papers, including: screen media and social and environmental justice; media in sports; and journalism, technology and the planet.
This article builds on research conducted under the European Union Horizon project CresCine, a three-year initiative aimed at enhancing the international competitiveness and cultural diversity of small European film markets. Departing from the analysis of the current policy landscape for film and audio-visual (AV) in Europe, we show its disjointedness from artificial intelligence (AI) challenges impacting this industry. This regulatory gap needs to be addressed through sector-specific innovation. Our research offers data-driven insights into market trends and challenges on both the offer (producers) and the demand (audience) side. We present first-hand accounts of AI's disruptive effects on creative professional practices, established film and AV national and EU-level policies and expectations regarding AI-driven policy interventions, particularly in small European markets. We discuss the interplay between existing regulatory frameworks, particularly the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), and the future of AI policy-making in these sectors, as well as how AI-driven regulation and innovation might impact small European countries' AV industries. This article contributes to AI policy debates in the film and AV sector by discussing tools and strategies to foster inclusive growth and suggesting future avenues for AI policy frameworks that are fair, responsive to market realities and beneficial to small and peripheral European film and AV industries.
Despite the lack of consensus on the definition of artificial intelligence (AI), significant efforts have been made in the past decade to establish governance frameworks addressing AI’s broad economic and societal implications. Adopting a governance perspective and based on extensive documentary and legal policy analysis, this article has two main objectives. First, it analyses emerging international and supranational AI governance frameworks, with particular attention to their guiding principles and mechanisms, focusing on the most significant initial attempts from the OECD, G20/G7, UNESCO and the earliest comprehensive legal instruments from the European Union and the Council of Europe. It finds divergence in priorities and values. Second, the article assesses the implications of these differing AI governance approaches for media governance, focusing on the EU. We argue that, although AI policies do not explicitly target the media, they nonetheless have substantial implications for the media. Specifically, the focus on AI regulation has sidelined key media policy debates, despite escalating challenges to media independence and pluralism. Furthermore, AI regulation is embedded in wider transformations in digital governance, institutional change, new platform regulatory mandates and challenges in aligning media policy objectives within this evolving context. An important observation is that long-established media regulators, traditionally tasked with protecting media freedom and democratic values, are being institutionally displaced within the EU’s emerging digital governance architecture. This transformation signals a deeper epistemological move from sector-specific expertise toward transversal forms of oversight, from media policy to technical standardisation and from public interest to market efficiency, product safety and systemic risk management. The article calls for reimagining media regulators’ mandates to include AI oversight, embedding them in horizontal governance structures and ensuring their active role in international and supranational coordination. Without such integration, media governance risks becoming a legacy function increasingly detached from the technological, institutional and actor configurations shaping today’s public sphere.
This article explores the changing global political economy of internet infrastructure by looking at data centres and submarine cables. Data on ownership and investment patterns is used to track developments in the industry. The article focuses on the increasing prominence of US and Chinese hyperscalers in the ownership and control of critical internet infrastructure and the strategies and operational needs that have driven this shift. These include most notably the development of AI services and the provision of media content. The analysis highlights the pursuit of market and infrastructure power as well as the transition away from the telecoms companies towards hyperscalers. The final section narrows the focus to the state and the intensification of geopolitical competition between China and the United States. It emphasizes the role of submarine cable policy as an arena of competition between the United States and China. The article explores the relationship between infrastructure and power, using insights from the political economy of communication, international political economy and platform/infrastructure studies.
This study evaluates ERTflix, Greece's Public Service Media (ERT) streaming platform, through the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) six core values-universality, independence, excellence, diversity, accountability and innovation. The analysis draws on content observation, platform data, institutional documents and external audience and regulatory sources to ensure validity. Using the EBU framework as a point of departure, the study develops an analytical framework grounded in academic literature and applies tailored indicators to assess how public service principles adapt within OTT platforms like ERTflix. As a distinct digital service, ERTflix shows strong alignment with universality, excellence and accountability: it offers free, high-quality content across devices, adheres to General Data Protection Regulation and provides parental controls. Innovation is advanced through scalable cloud infrastructure and algorithm-driven personalization; yet the platform lags in features such as 4K or immersive formats. Diversity is moderately addressed through genre variety and regional programming, with Greek and European content comprising 55 per cent of the catalogue compared to 32-35 per cent on major platforms, though limited multilingual subtitles restrict inclusivity. Independence remains the most critical concern, with political oversight enabled by a 2019 Presidential Decree undermining autonomy. The analysis affirms the relevance of EBU principles while exposing challenges that Public Service Broadcaster platforms face in digital environments.
This article advances the scholarship on how politics, power and policies played out in the digital terrestrial television (DTT) transition in Ghana. Through the lens of the Foucauldian concept of power, qualitative content analysis and interviews, this study examines Ghana's Digital Terrestrial Television Migration Policy (2016) and Revised Draft Broadcasting Bill (2014), focusing on the interactions between politics, power and policies during the switchover period. The study reveals that changes in government and service providers have largely contributed to the delays experienced. Moreover, Ghana's reliance on pre-existing laws, policies and legal frameworks to regulate DTT technology has impeded the progress that is expected from the migration. While efforts focused on providing access and participation to citizens through the provision of set-top boxes (STBs) and bolstering transmission capabilities to ensure widespread DTT accessibility, scant attention was paid to the content of media programmes, technical complexities of the chosen DTT technology, and sociological class subtleties stemming from satellite transmissions. Although the 2014 Broadcasting Bill, which has remained a bill until today, touched on certain programmes, it lacked the comprehensive framework essential for regulating the digital media landscape. We argue for a proactive regulatory framework that acknowledges emerging technologies to foster a more dynamic and inclusive broadcasting environment that is cost-effective.
This article examines the dynamics of domestic video-on-demand (VoD) platforms in Brazil. While global streaming giants increasingly dominate the market, local platforms continue to emerge in response to specific cultural and economic contexts. Building on sectoral data and a qualitative case study, the paper analyses the strategies adopted by a local service called Filme Filme, seeking to compete with global players through curation, audience engagement and innovative features such as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and gamification. Despite these efforts, Filme Filme ultimately ceased operations after four years of its launch, revealing the structural barriers that constrain the growth of domestic platforms in highly concentrated markets. By situating this case within the broader debate on platformization and the industrial organization of cultural industries, the study offers insight into the challenges of sustaining local streaming initiatives in emerging economies and discusses implications for public policy aimed at promoting digital sovereignty and cultural diversity.
Review of: Mediterranean Media Systems in the Age of Unrest: Journalism Under Attack? , Theodora A. Maniou (2025) Abingdon: Routledge, 144 pp., ISBN 978-1-03269-687-4, h/bk, GBP 52.99
Review of: Digital Media Regulation within the European Union: A Framework for a New Media Order , Judit Bayer (2024) Baden-Baden: Nomos Publishing, 383 pp., ISBN 978-3-75601-617-4, p/bk and e-book, €94.00
Review of: Media Pasts and Futures: Critical Reflections on Power Without Responsibility, Des Freedman and Michael Klontzas (2025) London: University of Westminster Press, 186 pp., ISBN 978-1-915445-64-3, p/bk, GBP 19.99 ISBN 978-1-91544-566-7, e-book, Open Access
