[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 24, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 73--REAFFIRMING THE COMMITMENT TO MEDIA DIVERSITY AND 
   PLEDGING TO WORK WITH MEDIA ENTITIES AND DIVERSE STAKEHOLDERS TO 
    DEVELOP COMMON GROUND SOLUTIONS TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO MEDIA 
                               DIVERSITY

  Ms. ROSEN (for herself and Mr. Rubio) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation:

                               S. Res. 73

       Whereas the principle that an informed and engaged 
     electorate is critical to a vibrant democracy is deeply 
     rooted in our laws of free speech and underpins the virtues 
     on which we established our Constitution, ``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 having independent, diverse, and local media that 
     provide exposure to a broad range of viewpoints and the 
     ability to contribute to the political debate is central to 
     sustaining that informed engagement;
       Whereas it is in the public interest to encourage source, 
     content, and audience diversity on our Nation's shared 
     telecommunications and media platforms;
       Whereas the survival of small, independent, and diverse 
     media outlets that serve diverse audiences and local media 
     markets is essential to preserving local culture and building 
     understanding on important community issues that impact the 
     daily lives of residents;
       Whereas research by the American Society of News Editors, 
     the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Pew 
     Research Center, and others has documented the continued 
     challenges of increasing diversity among all types of media 
     entities;
       Whereas with increasing media experience and 
     sophistication, it is even more important to have minority 
     participation in local media to ensure a diverse range of 
     information sources are available and different ideas and 
     viewpoints are expressed to strengthen social cohesion among 
     different communities; and
       Whereas the constriction in small, independent, and diverse 
     media outlets and limited participation of diverse 
     populations in media ownership and decisionmaking are 
     combining to negatively impact our goal of increasing local 
     civic engagement and civic knowledge through increased voter 
     participation, membership in civic groups, and knowledge of 
     local political and civil information: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms its commitment to diversity as a core tenet 
     of the public interest standard in media policy; and
       (2) pledges to work with media entities and diverse 
     stakeholders to develop common ground solutions to eliminate 
     barriers to media diversity.

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