Globalization or Communications Policy and the Public Interest

Globalization: Debunking the Myths

Author: Lui F Hebron

Globalization: Debunking the Myths demystifies the rhetoric surrounding one of the most hotly debated topics among scholars, commentators, and policymakers. Presenting arguments for and against globalization, this text examines a wide range of views on the economic, political, cultural, and environmental dimensions of globalization and exposes their underlying frameworks, methodologies, and expectations. Throughout, Globalization compares rhetoric and reality and argues that there is no one way to understand this complex phenomenon.

 

"Globalization moves the discussion of globalization beyond polemics to carve out an informed middle-ground position."–Sheila Croucher, Miami University

 

"With an intimate knowledge of the scholarly literature, an acute awareness of the public significance of the issues, and an engaging style, Hebron and Stack tkae us through a shifting landscape..."–James Piscatori, The Australian National University

 

"Globalization is required reading for anyone, either in academe or the general public, who wants to obtain greater understanding of the consequences of globalization."—Patrick James, University of Southern California

New interesting book: Everquest 2 or Getting to Know ArcView GIS

Communications Policy and the Public Interest: The Telecommunications Act of 1996, Vol. 1

Author: Patricia A Aufderheid

The passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 inaugurated a new and highly volatile era in telecommunications. The first major overhaul of U.S. communications law since 1934--when no one had a television set, a cordless phone, or a computer--the Act was spurred into being by broad shifts in technology use. Equally important, this book shows, the new law reflects important changes in our notions of the purpose of communications regulation and how it should be deployed. Focusing on the evolution of the concept of the public interest, Aufderheide examines how and why the legislation was developed, provides a thematic analysis of the Act itself, and charts its intended and unintended effects in business and policy. An abridged version of the Act is included, as are the Supreme Court decision that struck down one of its clauses, the Communications Decency Act, and a variety of pertinent speeches and policy arguments. Readers are also guided to a range of organizations and websites that offer legal updates and policy information.

Choice - B. P. Keating

Aufderheide details the history of communication (and telecommunications) regulation up to the 1996 Act as a prelude for analyzing the 1996 Act. Little can be said about the 1996 Act without some understanding of the beginnings of telecommunication regulation and its effects over six decades. Although the 1996 Act received publicity because of two items of dubious impact (the Communications Decency Act and the V-Chip), the detailed effects of the Act are little understood. About one-third of the book covers the history, evolution, and analysis of telecommunications regulation. Fully two-thirds consists of appendixes, which include the complete text of the Act and government documents and "position papers" related to the Act. Generous footnotes include references to primary research documents. Recommended for research and professional collections.

<br>&#151 American Journalism Review - Douglas Gomery

One of the most important books ever published on communications law and policy.

Booknews

Passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the first major overhaul of US communications law since 1934, inaugurated a highly volatile era in telecommunications. This study examines how and why the Act was developed, focusing on the evolution of the concept of public interest, and charts its intended and unintended effects on business and policy. Some 160 pages of appendices offer government documents, position papers on regulation and the public interest, and FCC speeches. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Table of Contents:

	Introduction	1
Ch. 1	Background	5
Ch. 2	The Shaping of the 1996 Act	37
Ch. 3	Overview of the Act	61
Ch. 4	After the Act	80
Ch. 5	The Public Interest beyond the Act	104
	References	113
	Annotated Guide to Analyses of the Act	124
	Resources for Active Citizens	131
App. A	The Telecommunications Act of 1996	143
App. B	U.S. Supreme Court, Reno, Attorney General of the United States, et al. v. American Civil Liberties Union et al.: Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania	183
App. C	Serving the Community: A Public-Interest Vision of the National Information Infrastructure	221
App. D	Seven Public Interest Principles	237
App. E	Cyberspace and the American Dream: A Magna Carta for the Knowledge Age	240
App. F	Technorealism	257
App. G	Why Government Is the Solution, and Not the Problem	261
App. H	Interview with an Umpire	266
App. I	The Hard Road Ahead: An Agenda for the FCC in 1997	283
App. J	The Light at the End of the Tunnel vs. the Fog: Deregulation vs. the Legal Culture	294
App. K	Remarks	301
	Index	309
	About the Author	323