Media Education Comes of Age

Abstract

This article responds to the insights, challenges, and issues raised by the contributors to this special issue. It underscores the need for greater attention to the social, economic, and ideological constraints that limit the ability of media educators to narrow the some of the gaps that define the digital divide. It calls attention to the especially difficult problems that have to be addressed in overcoming limitations on the right to understand and to be understood across borders and boundaries defined by race, class, and culture. It concludes with a warning about the conflicts of interest that may lie hidden in programs designed to bridge these communication gaps.