BeliefNet's Waldman Joins FCC

More Hands On Strategic Planning

BELIEFNET.COM Co-Founder, President, and Editor-in-Chief STEVEN WALDMAN is joining the FCC in the Office of Strategic Planning as Senior Advisor to Chairman JULIUS GENACHOWSKI.  WALDMAN will "lead an agency-wide initiative to assess the state of media in these challenging economic times and make recommendations designed to ensure a vibrant media landscape," according to a press release from the Commission.  

WALDMAN, a former National Editor at U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT and National Correspondent at NEWSWEEK, will step down from BELIEFNET and parent NEWS CORP. and discontinue his blog and the regular column he writes for WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE.

"A strong consensus has developed that we’re at a pivotal moment in the history of the media and communications, because of game-changing new technologies as well as the economic downturn," said GENACHOWSKI. "Highly respected entities have called on the FCC to assess these issues. At such a moment, it is important to ensure that our polities promote a vibrant media landscape that furthers long-standing goals of serving the information needs of communities.  The initiative is intended to identify the best ideas for achieving those goal, while recognizing that government must be scrupulous in abiding by the First Amendment and never dictating or controlling the content of the news or other communications protected by the First Amendment.

"STEVE WALDMAN is uniquely qualified to look at this shifting terrain and make sure we meet this moment wisely.  He was an award-winning journalist in traditional media and then became an Internet pioneer -- launching, running, and bringing to profitability one of the great content success stories. He’s also known for his even-handedness and has garnered respect from people of widely different ideologies and approaches."

"I’m excited by many of the new media’s innovations and, at the same time, concerned about the challenges facing American journalism, which potentially harm citizens’ ability to get information they need and hold leaders accountable," said WALDMAN. "Most solutions will come from the private and nonprofit sectors. But government rules already affect the media landscape in profound ways so it’s imperative that we both vigorously protect the First Amendment and determine which media policies make sense, which don’t. Unwise government policies can undermine business models and hinder innovation. Smart policy can help businesses, facilitate innovation, and ensure that a thriving media marketplace."

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