In September 2016, US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai proposed a Digital Empowerment Agenda with the aim of, among other things, providing broadband access and digital opportunities to traditionally marginalized areas which include economically disadvantaged communities, and large portions of rural America. I join the many people who have already done so in applauding Commissioner Pai for this initiative. It is important that such bold, yet crucial policy statements come from top policy makers. Even more important it is the spirit behind the move: such an agenda recognizes the need to include all Americans in the quest for a more just and prosperous society.

The current ‘new media’ landscape presents a great opportunity to eliminate some of the exploitative and socially reproductive tendencies of the ‘old’ media and communications environment. In many ways, media and communications policies provide a blueprint for human communication. The limits and possibilities of human interaction thus, civic engagement, are significantly determined by the precepts of such policies. Therefore, it is the role of policy, for instance, to protect the most vulnerable citizens from the social and economic exploitation that (sometimes, unintentionally) come with advancements in communications technologies.

Read the full article by Eric Karikari about social justice from The Aspen Institute