Reassessing the Potential Contribution of Communications Research to Communications Policy: The Case of Media Ownership

This article examines how the contemporary communications policy-making environment (particularly in relation to media ownership) is one in which communications research can play an increasingly influential role. This article explores how the expanded analytical perspective being brought to bear on the media ownership issue is conducive to greater contributions from communications research. Specifically, this article illustrates how policymakers' efforts to assess the importance of individual media outlets in local media markets from a view-point diversity standpoint raise a host of analytical issues toward which a broad range of communications research traditions can make significant contributions.