Keeping access open to all

[Commentary] The idea that "content is king" is a favorite slogan among media people, since it's comforting to think that the industry is ruled by its creative side. Comforting, but fictional. Who does rule the media kingdom? Not the content creators, but the people who control their physical access to the public, that's who. Sooner or later, channels trump content. That's why people who care about freedom of expression have to start by caring about the freedom of the channels over which expression flows. Hence the importance of the simmering controversy over so-called net neutrality -- a policy that is intended to keep the companies that rent us access to the Internet from playing favorites among Web services, information exchanges, content providers of all kinds. Why does that matter? Because the pace and direction of media development have been historically set by the people who controlled the contact points with the public.