earticle

영어

Recently, online journalism represented by online newspapers and portal site news services is being expanded due to news platform diversification. For example, aside from portal site news services, news supply and consumption channels have been diversified through SNS services, social media such as Facebook, and podcasts, among other routes, and news content is increasing quantitatively. The question of whether the current media-related legal system, especially “The Act on the Promotion of Newspaper, etc.” (hereinafter the Newspaper Act) appropriately corresponds to news platform diversification is the starting point of this study. This study observed the meaning of news platform diversification and the problems associated with the current media-related legal system. Regarding the meaning of news platform diversification, this study presented diversification of news supply and consumption channels, quantitative increases in news content, weakening of the legitimacy of government regulation of news media, strengthening of the necessity of self-regulation of news media, and analyzed problems associated with the current media-related legal system. Based on the problems inherent to the current media-related legal system, this study proposed basic directions for reform of the current media-related legal system that correspond to news platform diversification. The basic directions for reform are as follows. The first is expansion of the object of legal regulation through inclusion of new digital media in the Newspaper Act. The current media-related legal system needs to be reformed from regulation centered on news content producers to regulation centered on news-related providers, including news platform providers. The object of legal regulation needs to be expanded because a vacuum of legal regulation is undesirable from the perspective of stability of legal regulation and equality. The second is switching from a regulation-oriented policy to a support-oriented policy. In connection with the weakening legitimacy of government regulation of news media, keeping the problems of the current media-related legal system (as characterized by the ‘rigidity of the regulation paradigm’) in mind, the policy for news media should be changed from a policy centered on regulation to a policy centered on support. For example, the current mandatory news media registration system should be changed to an optional news media registration system based on support. The third is switching from a general direct support policy to a selective indirect support policy. If an up to date promotion policy regarding the newspaper industry has been operated through a general direct support policy from the perspective state paternalism, in a new media environment the promotion policy for the newspaper industry should be operated through a selective indirect support policy. The fourth is strengthening self-regulation. If the meaning of news platform diversification includes diversification of news supply and consumption channels, quantitative increases in news content, weakening of the legitimacy of government regulation of news media, and strengthening of the necessity of self-regulation of news media, strengthening of self-regulation is a practical route toward achieving these goals. Therefore, a legal institution of self-regulation is needed that will strengthen the support for self-regulation more than the existing system. Lastly, according to the basic directions of reform for the current media-related legal system, this study proposed a revised draft of the Newspaper Act.

한국어

최근 뉴스 플랫폼의 다변화로 인하여 인터넷신문, 포털 뉴스서비스로 상징되는 온라인 저널리즘의 지평이 확대되고 있는 것으로 보인다. 예컨대 포털 뉴스서비스 이외에도 최근에는 페이스북 등과 같은 SNS 서비스 또는 1인 미디어나 팟캐스트 등을 통한 뉴스공급 및 소비채널이 다양화되고 있고, 또한 뉴스콘텐츠가 양적으로도 증가하고 있다. 이러한 측면에서 뉴스 플랫폼의 다변화에 현행 미디어 관련 법제, 특히 신문법이 제대로 대응하고 있는가라는 문제의식이 바로 이 글의 출발점이 된다. 이와 같은 문제의식 하에서 먼저 뉴스 플랫폼 다변화의 의미 및 기존 미디어 관련 법제의 문제점을 살펴보았다. 특히 뉴스 플랫폼 다변화의 의미와 관련하여서는 뉴스공급 및 소비채널의 다양화와 뉴스콘텐츠의 양적 증가, 뉴스미디어에 대한 공적 규제의 정당성 약화, 뉴스미디어에 대한 자율규제의 필요성 강화를 제시하였고, 이와 관련된 현행 미디어 관련 법제의 문제점을 분석하였다. 위와 같은 현행 미디어 관련 법제의 문제점을 전제로, 향후 뉴스 플랫폼의 다변화에 대응하는 미디어 관련 법제 개선의 기본방향으로 ① 새로운 디지털미디어를 신문법의 규율대상으로 포섭시켜 제도적 규율대상을 확대한다는 점, ② ‘규제’ 중심의 정책에서 ‘지원’ 중심의 정책으로 전환시킨다는 점, ③ 기존의 ‘자동지원 혹은 보편적 지원’에서 ‘선별지원’으로 전환한다는 점, ④ 자율규제를 강화한다는 점 등을 제시하였다. 마지막으로 이와 같은 기본방향에 따라 보다 구체적으로 현행 신문법의 개정방안을 제시하였다.