Reconciling Economic and Non-Economic Perspectives on Media Policy: Transcending the “Marketplace of Ideas”

Abstract

A long-standing division in positions on media policy rejects differences in faith regarding the eflcacy of market versus government processes for achieving important communications policy objectives. The debate over content diversity between the advocates of market solutions and those who are critical of them reveals that the standard arguments of both camps rest on differences in assumptions that have not been subjected to careful analysis. Furthermore, analysts in each camp have failed to acknowledge or incorporate into their own analyses the other camp S legitimate insights. The result is a j a w e d policy dialogue that shows no signs of iterating toward a consensus or of making much progress toward a n improved understanding of the requirements for effective communications policy. This failure reflects, in part, limitations in the constructs implied by the "marketplace of ideas" metaphor that has guided much of the thinking by both camps and the ways these constructs have been employed. New metaphors are needed to guide an expanded research agenda designed to assist in the development of more effective communications policy.There is a need for conceptual clarification in the study of communications policy. Today, policy researchers seem to divide roughly between what we call the "market economics" and "social value" schools of thought, and the two are often so far apart in their assumptions and languages that they are unable to communicate with each other. Too often, each side is unable or unwilling to learn from the other's approach, and remains insulated in its own world. The results are flawed policy analysis and poor policy decisions.

Market Philosophy and Information Privacy

“…Conversely, the marketplace alone is inept to deal with the "public good" nature of information fl ow. In addition, the politicised debate is complicated by the dichotomy between government and market and its zero-sum cost-benefi t analyses exaggerated in the ideological division in policy studies (Entman and Wildman 1992).…”

Input Information Complexity and Information Processing in Electronic Discussions: An Experimental Investigation

“…The number of ideas generated in an electronic meeting is an important constituent of information load in these meetings (Grise & Gallupe, 2000). Diversity of ideas refers to the distinctiveness of views (thoughts, analyses, and criticisms) on issues under consideration (Entman & Wildman, 1992). Various benefits of idea diversity have been discussed in the literature (Black & Prudente, 1998;Welbourne & De Cieri, 2001).…”

The audience

“…This is hardly a model of the media audience. While there have been attempts to update the marketplace metaphor, just what role the mass audience is to play in the workings of the public sphere remains unclear (Entman & Wildman, 1992;Peters, 1995).…”

“…In contemporary application to mass media, the marketplace of ideas has been contested by analysts espousing either a "social value" or a "market economics" perspective (Entman & Wildman, 1992). These schools of thought generally comport with the audience-as-outcome and audience-as-agent models, respectively.…”