Information Needs of Communities

Citation
FCC Working Group on the Information Needs of Communities, The Information Needs of Communities: The Changing Media Landscape in a Broadband Age (June 9, 2011) (full-text).

Overview
This report looks not only at the changing face of media, but at the relevant policy and regulatory situation, including the FCC’s own track record. Our basic conclusion: with the media landscape shifting as fast as it has been, some current regulations are out of sync with the information needs of communities and the fluid nature of modern local media markets.

In crafting recommendations, this report started with the overriding premise that the First Amendment circumscribes the role government can play in improving local news. Beyond that, sound policy would recognize that government is simply not the main player in this drama.