[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 83 (Monday, May 21, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 518--REAFFIRMING SUPPORT FOR INCREASED MEDIA 
DIVERSITY, RECOGNIZING MAY 2018 AS ``NATIONAL MEDIA DIVERSITY MONTH'', 
 AND ENCOURAGING APPRECIATION, AWARENESS, AND SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENT, 
                   DIVERSE, AND LOCAL MEDIA ENTITIES

  Mr. HELLER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 518

       Whereas the principle that an informed and engaged 
     electorate is critical to a vibrant democracy is deeply 
     rooted in the laws of free speech in the United States and 
     underpins the virtues on which the United States has 
     established the Constitution of the United States and the 
     tenets of citizenship, which are, as presented in the 
     Preamble to the Constitution, ``We the people of the United 
     States in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish 
     Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common 
     defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the 
     Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity'';
       Whereas an independent, diverse, and local media that 
     provides exposure to a broad range of viewpoints and the 
     ability to contribute to the political debate is central to 
     sustaining that informed engagement by all citizens of the 
     United States;
       Whereas varying media entities play a significant role in 
     how constituents are exposed to news and discussions that 
     impact the ability of constituents--
       (1) to learn about and debate local, State, and national 
     issues central to the stability and security of the United 
     States; and
       (2) to effectively monitor their representatives;
       Whereas Congress recognizes the central role of mass 
     communication and encourages source, content, and audience 
     diversity on the shared telecommunications and media 
     platforms of the United States;
       Whereas encouraging diversity is important to the survival 
     of small independent and diverse media outlets that serve 
     diverse audiences and local media markets;
       Whereas, 50 years after the Kerner Commission issued its 
     media diversity recommendations, challenges remain with 
     underrepresentation in minority and rural populations in the 
     media and participation in ownership and control of media 
     decisionmaking, despite those populations comprising over 40 
     percent of the population of the United States; and
       Whereas small independent and diverse media outlets 
     positively contribute to the sense of community in the United 
     States and the goal of increasing local civic engagement and 
     civic knowledge, such as by increasing voting levels, 
     participation in civic groups, and knowledge of local 
     political and civil information: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to diversity as 
     a core tenet of the ``public interest standard'' in media 
     policy;
       (2) pledges to work with media entities and diverse 
     stakeholders to develop common-ground solutions to eliminate 
     barriers to media diversity; and
       (3) establishes May 2018 as ``National Media Diversity 
     Month'', during which efforts are encouraged to promote media 
     diversity appreciation and support.

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