Policy-making concerning the information economy and the new media depends upon information about the information economy and the new media. Not surprisingly, significant controversy surrounds the information that drives and justifies policy and regulatory efforts. For instance, many claim the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) politicizes its market analyses and argue that the FCC, since pursuing deregulation, has failed to collect sufficient data for competent rule making. Beyond doubts about quality and quantity, controversy surrounds the type of information that should guide policy making, with many questioning whether economic theory or other social goals should guide debates about media ownership and mandatory network interconnection. This conference explores these issues, attempting to isolate areas in which inadequate information may lead policymaking astray and identify the nature and adequacy of types of information forwarded to justify regulatory decision-making about the information economy and new media.

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