The focus theme section of this special issue addresses not only the impact of regulatory change on media market competition from an economic standpoint, but also the impact of regulatory change on competition in the "marketplace of ideas." While it is tempting to approach regulation and policy questions pertaining to media industries through the somewhat narrow lens of economics, policymakers, policy analysts, and scholars are all increasingly realizing that this is not a viable approach to promoting and sustaining a media system that effectively performs the full range of functions required of them in democratic societies. This collection of articles reflects this perspective through its attention to both economic competition and competition in the marketplace of ideas.

The general research section of this issue gathers research that is inspiring, moving beyond the scope of this issue's focus topic. Keeping with the aim to publish a broad array of articles on all aspects of media management, the five articles cover diverse subject matter and their research methodologies vary considerably. Taken as a whole, they constitute a significant contribution to media management scholarship.