The Challenge of Defining the Social Responsibilities of a 21st Century Communications Network in a Progressive, Democratic, Capitalist Nation

The means of communications are one of the most important infrastructures in any society because they support the flow of commerce and ideas. In the information age, they may be the most important infrastructure. For at least half a millennium, as new technologies transformed the means of communications, democratic societies examined how they were helping or hindering in the accomplishment of broader social goals and, where need be, established obligations to advance toward those goals.