Impoverishing Democracy

[Commentary] Thomas Jefferson once observed, "Information is the currency of democracy." That's never been more true than it is today. We live, after all, in an information age, one that's seen a virtual explosion in new sources of information -- ranging from newspapers and TV to talk radio, cable news, millions upon millions of blogs, even billboards. Today, particularly on the Web, openness is supposed to be the watchword when it comes to communication. But, oddly enough, rules that govern much of our information currency are being written by regulatory agencies and lawmakers in closed private meetings, accountable to no one. Secret meetings and redacted filings may serve private interests, which can be expected to look out for their own needs, even if it comes at the expense of the public good. But the real question is why federal communications agencies, and congressional committees charged with overseeing federal communications laws, are acquiescing to this. Why let laws and regulations governing the marketplace of ideas be secretly informed by private interests that are not enamored of democracy?