May 17.2007

Center for American Progress, 1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor
Washington

"A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both."rn-James Madison, 1822

Inspired by Madison's observation, Mark Lloyd has crafted a complex and powerful assessment of the relationship between communication and democracy in the United States. In Prologue to a Farce, he argues that citizens' political capabilities depend on broad public access to media technologies, but that the U.S. communications environment has become unfairly dominated by corporate interests.

rnPlease join Mark Lloyd and former FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani for a conversation on the current state of media and telecommunications policy and its impact on civic engagement and community, specifically focusing on women, children, and minorities. The discussion will consider how to ensure that democratic concerns are a priority in media and telecommunications policy, and how to promote our valued civic and cultural principles in a coarse consumer environment.