Epistemic Rights, Information Inequalities, and Public Policy

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter provides an overview of the range of information inequalities that are fundamentally connected with the notion of epistemic rights and considers the various ways that public policy has—or could—address these inequalities. As this chapter illustrates, information inequalities permeate many aspects of the contemporary news and information ecosystem. This chapter considers well-established information inequalities such as the digital divide and disparities in media ownership as well as newer information inequalities, such as news deserts, disinformation divides, and algorithmic bias. This chapter is intended as a starting point for deeper conversations about how public policy can systematically address various forms of information inequality and thereby enhance individual and collective epistemic rights.