The Diversity Policy Model and Assessment of the Policy

Abstract

Diversity is a central policy goal in achieving democracy, which has guided the Federal Communications Commission’s action in media ownership regulation. Although the role of diversity in sustaining democracy is presumable, the diversity principle and regulatory concepts applied to communications policy seem far from reaching a practical consensus. Among the regulatory challenges to achieving diversity goals are controversy on a theoretical level, inconsistent measurement, the interplay of conflicting public interest motivations, and the changes in the media system. This article investigates the diversity policy within a broad context of legal, political, economic, and sociocultural grounds: It proposes an integrative policy model that offers a platform for the analysis of the policy implications and decisions, analyzes the existing policy imposed to achieve diversity goals, and suggests alternative ways of responding to current regulatory challenges for strengthening policymaking.