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Whose Global Village?
Introduction1
The marketplace of ideas has never been very inclusive or fair. Most of society has always lived at the margins trying to adapt to the ideas, policies, and practices of the privileged and powerful few. Throughout the history of communication studies, a central theme of research and debate has been the development and implementation of policies and practices to reduce and overcome barriers to participation in this most fundamental of all markets. These have focussed primarily on enabling public education and training, access to information, and opportunities to communicate. With the establishment and growth of information and communication industries, corporate and government policies have shaped the terms of engagement in an increasingly commercialized marketplace of ideas. The extensive policy and policy research literature in media and communication reflects the discussion and debate relating to their effects and effectiveness.
The new information and communication technologies (ICTs) have enhanced significantly both the breadth and depth of information generation and communication possibilities while, at the same time, calling into question established ways of doing things and threatening to render obsolete, older technologies, services, and policies. Their widespread application is enabling fundamental changes in the requirements for access to, and participation in, an increasingly complex and rapidly evolving marketplace ...
