Napoli, Philip M. --- "Diminished, Enduring, and Emergent Diversity Policy Concerns in an Evolving Media Environment" [2012] ELECD 695; in Pager, A. Sean; Candeub, Adam (eds), "Transnational Culture in the Internet Age" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012)

Book Title: Transnational Culture in the Internet Age

Editor(s): Pager, A. Sean; Candeub, Adam

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9780857931337

Section: Chapter 8

Section Title: Diminished, Enduring, and Emergent Diversity Policy Concerns in an Evolving Media Environment

Author(s): Napoli, Philip M.

Number of pages: 17

Extract:

8. Diminished, enduring, and emergent
diversity policy concerns in an
evolving media environment
Philip M. Napoli

8.1 INTRODUCTION

Technological and institutional changes in contemporary communica-
tions systems are forcing both policymakers and policy researchers to
re-examine the role and function of diversity as a communications policy
principle.1 As a recent study on the tightly related principle of media plu-
ralism prepared for the European Commission noted, "Technological and
economic changes . . . are affecting established media and communica-
tions sectors . . . Traditional policy approaches . . . that were developed in
an earlier era are being strained by these changes and there is a growing
need to develop policy approaches appropriate for the contemporary and
future environment."2
Reflected in this statement is the fact that the reduced barriers to entry
to content production and distribution brought about by the Internet
have led (at least superficially) to increases in available content, as well
as to dramatic increases in the range of sources from which content can
be obtained. Individuals and organizations of various stripes now stand
alongside traditional media institutions as producers and distributors of
content.3 On a superficial level, these technological developments address


1 See generally, Kari Karppinen, Rethinking Media Pluralism and

Communicative Abundance, 11 Observatorio J. 151­69 (2010); Bruce M. Owen,
Old Media Policy Failures, New Media Policy Challenges, John M. Olin Program
in Law and Economics Working Paper No. 378 (July, 2009).
2 K.U. Leuven, Jonkoping International Business School, Central European

University, & Ernst & Young Consultancy, Independent Study ...