Debating Disclosure and Transparency in the FCC Future of Media Report

[Commentary] The recently released Federal Communications Commission report on “The Information Needs of Communities” focuses a good deal of attention on increasing transparency by government and by broadcasters, who get to use the public airwaves for free.

Indeed, the FCC recommended that “disclosure should be a major pillar of FCC media policy.” The FCC has long recognized that providing communities with locally responsive programming is a “bedrock” obligation of every broadcaster. But to hold broadcasters accountable to this promise both citizens and the FCC need data about how broadcasters claim they are serving local communities. It’s clear from the report that the FCC recognizes that information equals power, and that citizens need more information to judge whether broadcasters are meeting their obligations to serve the public good. Why, then, did we blast the FCC’s recommendations around “enhanced disclosure”? Unfortunately, when it comes to this essential information we worry that the report has taken us one step forward and two steps back.