Exposure Diversity as a Policy Goal

Abstract:

The protection and promotion of media diversity is one of the primary goals of national media laws and policies. Existing laws and policies are typically concerned with the supply of a wide range of content from diverse sources. Law and policy makers have been until now far more cautious about addressing the question of the programs to which users are ultimately exposed, this despite a growing body of research that demonstrates a critical gap between the so-called diversity of supply and diversity of exposure. In light of the findings from this research, this article will critically evaluate existing media diversity policies at the level of the Council of Europe and the European Union. To what extent do they already consider matters of exposure diversity, or should they do so more? What are the relevant issues in this context, and is it true that matters of exposure diversity are essentially unapproachable for media law and policy? The article will argue that in a time of digital abundance, convergence and the arrival of a plethora of new business models to distribute media content, media law and policy can no longer afford to ignore matters of exposure diversity. It concludes with a number of suggestions on key aspects that can inform future conceptions of exposure diversity as a policy goal.