Editing Development communication (section)

=== Historical perspectives ===
{{See also|History of communication}}

Cuilenburg and McQuail (2003) identify three main phases of communications policy-making:<ref name="EJC (McQuail)">{{Cite journal | last1 = Van Cuilenburg | first1 = J. | last2 = McQuail | first2 = D. | doi = 10.1177/0267323103018002002 | title = Media Policy Paradigm Shifts: Towards a New Communications Policy Paradigm | journal = European Journal of Communication | volume = 18 | issue = 2 | pages = 181–207 | year = 2003 | s2cid = 143873886 }}</ref>

Emerging Communications Industry Policy (until the Second World War)—during this era, communications policy mainly supported state and corporate benefits. Policy-covered telegraph, telephony and wireless and later, cinema.<!--what about the press?--> Policies were ad hoc measures designed to facilitate a series of technical innovations.<ref name="EJC (McQuail)" />
Public Service Media Policy (1945–1980)—After the Second World War, policy was dominated by sociopolitical rather than economic and national strategic concerns. This phase began after the Second World War. Policy expanded from addressing technical matters to the content of communications and to cover the traditional press.<ref name="EJC (McQuail)" />
New Communications Policy Paradigm (1980 to present)—Technological, economic and social trends fundamentally changed media policy from 1980 onward. Technological convergence became an agenda item when the US [[Office of Technology Assessment]] published its pioneering study, ''Critical Connections'' (OTA, 1990) followed by the European Union (CEC, 1997). "Convergence" meant that the boundaries between information technologies blurred: computer and [[telecommunications]] converged to [[telematics]]; personal computers and television become more similar; and formerly separated networks become interconnected. Regulation of mass media became increasingly linked to telecommunications regulation. Globalization and the permeability of national frontiers by multinational media limited the impact of policy in most countries.<ref name="EJC (McQuail)" />